The “date” Mitsotakis – Tsipras for the follow-ups

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Alexis Tsipras, for the fifth time in a row, resubmitted another topical question on the issue of surveillance.

By Penelope Galliou

It seems that the battle for the surveillance case will be fought in the “trenches” of the Parliament, as it is there that the government and the opposition are having their “rendezvous” on every aspect of the case.

At the time when the development of the meeting of the Institutions and Transparency Committee of the Parliament did not take the turn that the opposition wanted or hoped for, with the hearing of the former G.G. of the office of Prime Minister Grigoris Dimitriadis, to prove to be a “coal” based on the expectations that SYRIZA and the other minor opposition parties had cultivated, Alexis Tsipras for the fifth time in a row opened another front with Kyriakos Mitsotakis, re-asking another topical question on the issue of surveillance and requesting answers from the prime minister regarding a series of facts cited by related publications.

He even notes that “no Prime Minister in the past has shown such disrespect for the Parliament, while avoiding a scandal that directly attacks the institutions and hits the very core of the State”.

The insistence of Alexis Tsipras to ask for answers through the parliamentary control by adopting the complaints of the publications, caused the reaction of the government representative who also once again refers the leader of the official opposition to receive answers in the Parliament, but not according to the parliamentary control, but during the discussion of the bill for the institutional framework of the EYP, which is expected to be submitted by the end of the week.

“He tries – taking the baton from his journalistic arm every week – to create impressions, reproducing unsubstantiated claims and looking for the spectacle and not the substance” Yannis Oikonomou commented in his announcement, calling on Alexis Tsipras “to be sure that all the answers will be given when the institutional procedures are completed, with seriousness, responsibility and for the entire period of action of these software in Greece. As for the confrontation with the Prime Minister in Parliament, let him be patient.

Soon the Prime Minister will take part in the discussion of the bill on the protection against malicious software and the treatment of chronic pathologies in the security services sector. Institutional, responsible, organized, documented and specific” concluded the government representative.

The “derby” for the role of Dimitriadis

Earlier, another parliamentary “derby” between the government and the opposition was developing in the Parliament’s Institutions and Transparency committee, when the former General Secretary of the Prime Minister, Grigoris Dimitriadis, passed through its threshold, and from his hearing, according to ND sources, it became clear that there is no absolutely no connection between the Greek government and the Predator malware.

“I never had any business or business appointments with Mr. Lavrano and Biggio. I have never dealt with malicious software and there has never been a purchase, procurement, use of such software by government agencies,” Mr. Dimitriadis is reported to have argued, answering the questions put to him by the members of the committee.

SYRIZA sources, however, directly disputed the claim of Mr. Dimitriadis that he did not know any person or any group working at the Center for Technological Support, Development and Innovation, with Pavlos Polakis citing the Official Gazette of 2021, according to which, as the deputy claimed of SYRIZA, “you had the responsibility of approving the operating regulations of KETYAK. When I was in charge of EOPYY and approved its benefits regulation, I knew where the mullet was coming from EOPYY. You don’t know anything or anyone from KETYAK?” asked.

PASOK sources also raised questions about his relations with businessmen who are allegedly connected to surveillance software. Haris Kastanidis even called Mr. Dimitriadis if he can confirm that there was a trip with Mr. Lavranos in 2019 to Cyprus to see businessmen, with the former close associate of the Prime Minister stating that he is cautious and that he does not remember.

The climate in the Institutions and Transparency committee was conflicted from the beginning of the meeting due to the rejection by the majority of SYRIZA’s request for a public broadcast and forcible extradition of the three businessmen Biggiou, Lavranou and Dilian allegedly connected to the software companies KRIKEL and INTELLEXA and they did not come in person. Persons for whom the committee decided by a majority to send them questions in order to answer them in writing, a procedure however that SYRIZA disputes and does not appear willing to participate.

After the end of the meeting, SYRIZA through the mouth of Giorgos Katrougalou accused the majority of “maintaining the climate of Omerta” and that it became clear that its intention was not to shed light on the wiretapping scandal, on the connection between EYP and Predator and the very real responsibilities of the prime minister himself, both for the scandal and for its cover-up”.

PASOK MP Haris Kastanidis was equally critical, stating that “it was clear from the first moment that the government wants to keep in complete darkness illegal actions such as the violation of privacy of communications, illegal actions that are either due to state agencies or private individuals”.

The “facilitation” of MP Javara

New discussions were also caused by the statement of ND MP, Costas Tzavara, that he did not ask to be replaced at the meeting of the Institutions and Transparency Committee for health reasons, but because of his disagreement with the acceptance of the invocation of confidentiality. As he said in an interview with a radio station, “I am neither sick, nor do I suffer from any contagious disease. Apart from the illness of speaking my opinion rudely. In the investigation carried out by the Parliament, there is no possibility of invoking confidentiality or duty of confidentiality for the Parliament. I considered that I should facilitate my party and not participate in this Committee,” he said, exacerbating the awkward atmosphere that prevails inside the ND about his attitude.

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