Greece's opposition parties have sharply criticized the government following a report by broadcaster MEGA alleging that officials considered introducing legislation that could reduce the legal exposure of Tal Dilian, the founder of spyware company Intellexa, who was recently convicted at first instance in connection with the country's wiretapping scandal.
According to the report, the proposal triggered tensions within the government, with three senior ministers—Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias and Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis—reportedly making clear they would not support such a measure. Mr. Gerapetritis later said he had no knowledge of any proposed amendment.
Mr. Gerapetritis, who was himself among those targeted by surveillance activities, referred questions about the investigation to the judiciary but appeared to reject suggestions from some government officials that the monitoring of roughly half the Cabinet and the leadership of the armed forces should be treated as a matter of secondary importance.
Despite government denials that any legislative initiative is under consideration, opposition parties say they remain unconvinced. The center-left PASOK party has publicly warned Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's office against pursuing any move that could benefit Mr. Dilian. In a recent interview with MEGA, Mr. Dilian suggested he possesses documents showing that Intellexa sold its Predator spyware to Greek state agencies, while maintaining that the company had no involvement in the subsequent use of the software.
The Predator affair, which erupted in 2022, has become one of the most politically damaging scandals of Mr. Mitsotakis's administration, raising questions about surveillance practices and the use of commercial spyware against politicians, journalists and senior officials.
