ATHENS Aug 24Former Greek Foreign Minister, head of the foreign economic policy department of SYRIZA, Yorgos Katrungalos called the hearings in the parliamentary committee on the appointment of a new head of the National Intelligence Service EYP instead of the one fired for spying on the opposition a sham, noting that «the rot in the center of the country bears the name» of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.Katrungalos He is the First Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Institutions and Transparency, where hearings were held on the appointment of the former Secretary General of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs Themistoklis Demiris as the new head of the EYP. Only the ruling New Democracy party supported his appointment. All opposition parties were against it.
The Greek intelligence services are spying on thousands of citizens, writes Documento «The very presence of the appointed head of EYP on the committee was a new mockery of parliamentary procedure. The government not only did not try to find a consensus to fix institutional loopholes, but by its decision first appointed the head, and then completely feigned led him to the committee to find out the opinion of the committee after the fact. Therefore, it is not surprising that all opposition parties voted against this proposal, even those that traditionally abstain,» Katrungalos said in a statement after the committee meeting, received by RIA Novosti. According to the deputy, this the fictitious procedure not only failed to refute, but also confirmed the belief of the average Greek that both politicians and journalists are being watched. Katrungalos said that the opposition would not allow the prime minister to escape responsibility. “We will not allow Mr. Mitsotakis to escape, we will demand and insist that the natural perpetrators of illegal surveillance, the former head of EYP, the prime minister’s nephew and his confidant, be brought to justice, but we will also insist that the investigation get to the bottom «No one has the right to tarnish the country's image. The rot that the New York Times says is at the heart of our country is named Kyriakos Mitsotakis. It will not escape the consequences,» Katrungalos said. The New York Times, in an article entitled «The Rot in the Heart of Greece Now Clear to All,» wrote that the surveillance case was reminiscent of the dark days of the military junta. In response to a question about what was discussed at the committee, Katrougalos replied that the hearings were confidential. «Essentially, everything that the average Greek, and not just us on the Committee on Institutions, knew before the meeting about surveillance of politicians and journalists was confirmed,» the ex-minister said. scandal. It turned out that the secret service tapped the phone of the opposition politician, former MEP Nikos Androulakis, during the period when he applied for the post of leader of the PASOK-KINAL party. The ruling party was interested in electing his opponent as chairman of the party. In addition to him, journalist Tanasis Koukakis was also tapped.The Greek opposition opposed the sending of armored vehicles to UkraineThe head of the Greek intelligence service EYP Panagiotis Kontoleon and the secretary general of the prime minister (head of the government administration), the prime minister's nephew Grigoris Dimitriadis, were fired. the policy was conducted legally with the permission of the prosecutor, but it was politically unacceptable and should not have happened, since the case concerned a well-known political figure. Mitsotakis said «it was wrong», he «didn't know it and obviously would never have let it happen». Mitsotakis said that he did not intend to resign, but control and supervision of the special service would be strengthened. The Greek government avoids the word «listening» and calls it «legal connection» to the telephone. The Greek media called the case «Kyriakos Gate» and «Greek Watergate» by analogy with the well-known political scandal in the United States in 1972-1974, which ended in the resignation of President Richard Nixon. The opposition claims mass surveillance of citizens by the secret police and demands the resignation of Mitsotakis.
