The resurgence of the wiretapping scandal has plunged the Greek government into a new crisis, following an interview with Intellexa founder Tal Dilian earlier in the week, who claimed a direct link between the state and the illegal use of Predator spyware. Predator is a key product offered by the Intellexa alliance.
The most explosive element of Tal Dilian’s recent revelation is his blunt refusal to let Intellexa be the “fall guy” for political decisions.
Dilian explicitly stated that the spyware was provided exclusively to government security authorities, who alone selected the targets. Crucially, Dilian invoked a historical parallel that has sent shockwaves through the Greek political establishment, noting: “As Nixon learned the hard way, it’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up.” By invoking Richard Nixon, Dilian framed the affair not as a technical glitch, but as a systemic attempt to subvert democratic transparency.
“I remained silent during the trial, but I will not be a scapegoat,” Dilian told Mega Stories and Inside Story, while also stressing that he plans to seek legal recourse to international organizations.
This framing has provided the opposition with a powerful rhetorical weapon, suggesting that the government’s efforts to block parliamentary inquiries and withhold information constitute a modern-day cover-up.
Government on the defensive over wiretapping allegations
The government, already grappling with an EU subsidies scandal, tried to limit the damage, insisting that the matter is strictly for the judiciary and denying any formal purchase of the software. Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis firmly rejected Dilian’s claims, which amounted to blackmail against the government.
Marinakis also pointed out that Dilian has been convicted at first instance and has appealed the decision, meaning the case will be judged again in a higher court. He stressed that court cases are decided in courtrooms, not in press briefings or the media, and said it is not the government’s role to conduct trials before the judiciary.
Opposition and former PM Samaras blast the government
However, this position has become increasingly tenuous. Nikos Androulakis has utilized the “Nixonian” framing to call for a total “cleansing” of the political system, positioning himself as the defender of institutional legitimacy against a “parastate” operating within the government.
Speaking in parliament on Thursday, Androulakis called for snap elections. “Elections will put an end to this,” he declared. “Let a breath of change, of perspective, of respect for justice, and of respect for human rights blow through. Let there be an end to impunity.”
Adding a layer of existential threat is the intervention of former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. By labeling the current administration as “synonymous with corruption,” Samaras has signaled that the scandal resonates even within the conservative base. His critique suggests that the “cover-up” mentioned by Dilian has not only damaged the country’s international reputation but has created a deep-seated fracture within the governing New Democracy party.
“Mr. Prime Minister, in all this time, has any state agency investigated why ‘private individuals’ were monitoring my phone Samaras stated during his speech in parliament on Thursday. “And how did these ‘private individuals’ manage to do this under the nose of an entire state? I imagine you have ordered a relevant inquiry. I will be waiting for the answer,” added the former Prime Minister.
The history of Greece’s wire-tapping scandal
The roots of the scandal trace back to early 2022, when investigative journalist Thanasis Koukakis discovered his phone had been infected with the highly invasive Predator spyware. However, the issue reached a breaking point in July 2022, when Nikos Androulakis, leader of the opposition party PASOK and a Member of the European Parliament, alerted authorities after a security check by the European Parliament’s services revealed a similar hacking attempt on his device.
The subsequent investigation by the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) revealed a sprawling surveillance network. It emerged that the National Intelligence Service (EYP)—which Prime Minister Mitsotakis had placed under his direct office’s supervision in 2019—had also been “legally” wiretapping Androulakis.
The scandal quickly expanded as lists of targets grew to include more than 90 individuals, encompassing senior political and military figures such as the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, General Konstantinos Floros, and current Deputy PM Kostis Hatzidakis.
The dual use of “legal” state wiretapping and illegal Predator spyware against the same targets suggested a coordinated operation that critics dubbed the “Greek Watergate.”