Gov’t spokesman rejects as ‘groundless’ reports of EYP spying on PM
Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou on Friday dismissed as “completely untrue and groundless” reports on Greek news sites on Friday according to which a secret meeting had been called at the Secretariat General of Information and Communication to discuss the alleged existence of a racket within the National Intelligence Service (EYP) that had been spying on Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
Kedikoglou’s terse statement came shortly after Ilias Kasidiaris, the spokesman for neofascist Golden Dawn, accused Samaras of directly meddling in the affairs of the judiciary in an attempt to influence a criminal probe into the party’s activities and claimed that the premier had particularly close ties with one high-ranking judicial official in particular.
Kasidiaris caused a political storm on Wednesday after releasing a videotape showing a former aide to Samaras, Panagiotis Baltakos, appearing to suggest that Samaras had wanted to influence a judicial probe into GD in order to gain votes.
The revelation prompted Baltakos to resign.
Golden Dawn has claimed to have several other videotaped discussions between its officials and members of the government as well as other political parties including the main opposition SYRIZA.
