The latest lawsuits filed by the president of PASOK, Nikos Androulakis, and the journalist Thanasis Koukakis in the spyware scandal were forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Supreme Court.
The Athens District Attorney’s Office bundled the two lawsuits into one and forwarded them to the Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, who has also conducted previous investigations into the case.
This Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court has previously concluded that no state officials can be held responsible in regards to the use of the Predator malware.
This is the latest twist in a convoluted spyware scandal that has rocked Greece. Beginning in 2022, a series of leaks and investigation revealed that dozens of Greek journalists and politicians had been sent phishing messages which contained the Predator malware. Many ended up with infected phones that could open every message, listen in on every call, and even turn on cameras and microphones and monitor a target’s every conversation.
At least 27 of these known 87 targets of Predator in Greece, had also been placed under wiretapping surveillance by the country’s National Intelligence Service at simultaneous or very adjacent times.
Many have pointed fingers at the government and specifically the ruling New Democracy party, which has repeatedly denied using the illegal Predator software.
Investigations from InsideStory have found evidence that Greece’s National Intelligence Service purchased Predator for 7 million euros, hiding the acquisition in a shell contract.
Judicial investigations into the scandal have yet to lead to any convictions. Misdemeanor charges have been brought against executives from companies involved in creating and acquiring the Predator malware, but no state agencies have been charged, and several individuals that were directly involved in the case were never called to testify.
One such individual is Emilios Kosmidis. Kosmidis is linked to one of the SMS farm accounts used to send phishing messages which contained the Predator software. This account paid for phishing SMS targeting figures like former Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, journalists, and other politicians. A debit card issued to Kosmidis was used to fund these operations, although he denies using or funding it.
Authorities identified Emilios Kosmidis in 2023, but never located him to call him to testify in the case. Journalists from InsideStory later found him, working as a butcher, claiming to be unaware of the entire spyware scandal.
PASOK president Nikos Androulakis and journalist Thanasis Koukakis have both filed a suit against Kosmidis–such that he be called to testify and investigated for crimes against the security of telephone communications, high treason, and invasion of privacy–but also extended the suit to any other connected person may have had any form of participation in the case. Andreoulakis’ suit specifically asks for the investigation into the defendant’s relationship with the companies that sell and advertise Predator, as well as if he has any relationship with or connection to the National Intelligence Service.
