Phone hacking scandal re-opened after 5 yrs

As it seems, the phone hacking that occurred in Greece 5 years ago is finding its way towards justice and the court procedures are giving a new turn to the story.

According to information, during the coming week the District Attorney of Athens is going forward with charging people with espionage, which is a felony crime. The evidence for the charges will be based on new clues emerging from the police investigations.

There are indications that employees of the US embassy in Athens were involved in the phone hacking. The information indicates that there was a very suspicious mobile phone number that was registered to the US Embassy. For this reason the Greek court authorities are sending out paperwork to the American authorities in order for them to help out in the investigation, but the latter have not responded so far.

Protothema.gr contacted the American Embassy but nobody wanted to comment.

Light is shed 5 years later

The scandal of the phone hacking was revealed in February 2006 by the party in power at the time, Nea Dimokratia. According to the announcement by then Ministers Anastasis Papaligouras, George Voulgarakis and Theodoros Rousopoulos, phone hacking involving 14 high rank officials and politicians took place by means of specific illegal software and with 14 pay-as-you-go mobile numbers.

Nobody, however, found out who was hacking the phones and why, and who ordered the phone hacking. In other words, those involved in the case were described as  “unknown felons”. The current Minister of Justice, Mr.Miltiadis Papaioannou, showed interest in the case and in a letter, he asked for it to be re-examined.