PASOK is furious over the rejection of four requests to reopen the case file on the wiretapping scandal, a decision made by Supreme Court Prosecutor Evangelos Bakelas. According to party headquarters on Harilaou Trikoupi Street and spokesperson Kostas Tsoukalas, “an invisible hand does not want the wiretapping scandal to be clarified.” In an official statement, the PASOK spokesperson targeted the decision, noting that the timing should have demanded full clarification of the case — something that did not happen. Tsoukalas cited Antonis Samaras and Christos Spirtzis as victims of surveillance, emphasizing that significant gaps remain regarding their individual monitoring cases. Justice, Institutions and Transparency sector head Evangelia Liakouli echoed this sentiment, stressing that “the wiretapping scandal cannot be left to gather dust in a filing cabinet.”
PASOK: We respect justice, but we will not stay silent or step aside
In his statement, Kostas Tsoukalas said: “The decision by Supreme Court Prosecutor Evangelos Bakelas to reject the requests to reopen the case file on the wiretapping affair leaves critical questions unanswered in this deeply troubling scandal of illegal surveillance. At a time when convicted private individuals are publicly blackmailing the Prime Minister ahead of their appeal trial; at a time when Mitsotakis’s right-hand man cynically admits he ‘took the bullet’ to protect his boss (from what, exactly, and from whom? Why would the ‘isolated’ actions of private individuals implicate a secretary-general at the Maximos Mansion and drive him to resign?); at a time when the New Democracy government is twisting parliamentary rules and the Constitution to prevent key figures from being called before parliamentary committees and to block the formation of an investigative committee — this latest development reinforces the perception that not every available institutional and procedural avenue is being used to fully investigate a scandal that has damaged the rule of law, fundamental rights, and citizens’ trust in democratic institutions.
Invoking the absence of “new substantive evidence” and the existence of a “quasi-res-judicata” cannot serve as a blanket and sufficient response to every request for further investigation — least of all when critical facts have yet to be clarified, specific individuals have not been questioned, and no convincing answers have been given as to who was behind the surveillance operation.
In the case of A. Samaras, the alleged attempt to spy on a former Prime Minister — someone who possesses knowledge of and access to sensitive information of national importance — cannot be treated as a private matter. It is imperative to establish who targeted him, who had access to the illegal software, who gave the order, and what the intended benefit was. Yet even in this case, the necessary investigation was not pursued. In the case of the request filed by C. Spirtzis, the stated justification is that the new evidence was submitted during the trial. In other words, while it is acknowledged that this new evidence did not exist at the time of the Supreme Court’s initial archiving of the case, it is nevertheless deemed… unnecessary to investigate.
PASOK – Movement for Change fully respects the independence of the judiciary. However, respect for judicial independence does not mean silence, nor does it mean relinquishing institutional and democratic oversight. As long as the masterminds, financiers, and operators of the Predator spyware remain unidentified, the archiving of this case deepens public distrust in state institutions and fuels the sense that an invisible hand is working to prevent the wiretapping scandal from ever coming to light. This is especially true at a moment when Mitsotakis’s own public voice, Adonis Georgiadis, goes so far in a news247 interview as to compare the government to the Stalinist regime — apparently to justify that things could be… worse.”
“The government bears full responsibility”
Evangelia Liakouli strikes a similar tone, describing the decision not to reopen the case file as a development that “causes deep concern and shakes citizens’ trust in institutions and the rule of law.” “Once again, the country’s top judicial leadership arrives at a routine archiving of the case, citing legal grounds and the absence of ‘new evidence’ — while in society and in public discourse, the questions are screaming out loud,” she stated.
The PASOK MP invoked the criminal conviction of those involved in the Predator affair, the public statements made by Tal Dilian, and the complaints of individuals who have sought an investigation into their own surveillance. “The refusal to conduct any further substantive investigation convinces no one,” she argued. Liakouli directed sharp criticism at the New Democracy government, accusing it of having “chosen from the very beginning to downplay the case, avoid investigation, and cover up responsibility.” In her view, the government “bears full historical and political responsibility for the climate of obfuscation surrounding the case.”
“Preliminary parliamentary investigations voted down by the majority; investigative committees that functioned as a coordination smokescreen between New Democracy and witnesses; requests to summon witnesses before the Institutions and Transparency Committee that were rejected through blatant manipulation of procedure — these are the government’s track record,” she said. “But democracy and the rule of law do not tolerate grey areas or the instrumentalization of institutions,” she added.
Closing her statement, PASOK’s Justice sector head made clear that the party will continue to press the issue. “The wiretapping scandal is not forgotten, nor does it fade from the conscience of the Greek people,” she stressed. “For PASOK – Movement for Change, the fight for full transparency, truth, and accountability continues — all the way to the end.”
“No new evidence emerged”
Supreme Court Prosecutor Evangelos Bakelas rejected all four requests to reopen the case file, ruling that no new evidence had emerged sufficient to justify doing so. He issued a separate ruling for each of the four requests. It is worth noting that new evidence had been cited by Antonis Samaras, Christos Spirtzis, and journalist Thanasis Koukakis.
Regarding the public statements made by Intellexa owner Tal Dilian, the prosecutor ruled that he cannot be examined as a witness given that he has already been convicted in connection with the same case. The same incompatibility applies to the three other convicted individuals. The appeal trial of Tal Dilian, Felix Bitzios, Giannis Lavranos, and Ilias Chamos has been scheduled for December 11, 2026.
