President launches bug probe

PRESIDENT Tassos Papadopoulos yesterday launched an official investigation into the discovery of a phone-tapping device found in Justice Minister Doros Theodorou’s office by private detectives three months ago.

Speaking shortly before his departure for New York, the President said the investigation was necessary in order to put things in a proper perspective.
Papadopoulos said he had suggested the appointment of three criminal investigators, but that the final decision would be taken by the Cabinet in their meeting next Wednesday.

“We are convinced that the device was installed during the transfer of the Ministry to the present building and definitely before this administration came into office,” he said.

“We decided not to go public because the facts did not give positive indications into locating the culprits and their accomplices.

“We are determined to stage a relentless battle against such criminal acts and to uproot past mentalities for the monitoring of people and their telephone conversations,” Papadopoulos added.

The President said the findings of an initial investigation showed that the device was inoperable and of old technology and that the culprits’ monitoring capabilities were limited.

Meanwhile, former Justice Minister Nicos Koshis said on Sunday he suspected the bug had been installed to monitor his telephone conversations.

Speaking to Simerini, Koshis said the discovery of the bug was a serious matter and offered to testify before the investigating committee.

“I had my suspicions because I was the target of specific situations,” he said.
Koshis said both he and Doros Theodorou had been given information about the bug a long time ago and that an investigation should have been carried out sooner.

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