Greece’s National Intelligence Service, and the Public, Upgrade Surveillance Gear
Greece’s National Intelligence Service, and the Public, Upgrade Surveillance Gear

Summary/Abstract: Greek public interest in matters of espionage and wiretapping were revived earlier this month when judicial authorities filed charges of attempted espionage against unnamed suspects, following a lengthy investigation into a 2004 wiretapping scandal in which phones used by former Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, several other ministers, and other prominent persons were found to have been illegally tapped. The miscreants had manipulated hardware made by Ericsson to intrude on Greece’s domestic Vodafone network; both companies were fined in 2007 over the case. (For context, readers are referred to Balkanalysis.com’s February 2006 coverage of the matter). Considering the revived interest in the topic, we are pleased to be able to offer the following new account of the technological investments made by Greek security agencies in recent years- while also discussing the legal provisions under which such bodies are controlled, and the little-mentioned place of criminals, detectives and even ordinary citizens in the acquisition of such equipment.

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