Legislative Content Act changes Intelligence Agency operation

The Legislative Content Act was published with the urgent provisions to strengthen the integrity of the operation of the National Intelligence Agency – EYP.

The Legislative Content Act published today restores the oversight of two prosecutors to the supervision of the EYP (which SYRIZA has abolished in 2018) and establishes for the first time a hearing of the EYP Commander by the Institutions and Transparency Committee of the Parliament.

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As concerns breaching the privacy of mail, telephone or other communications, as well as recording the activity of persons with special technical means and in particular with an audio and video device outside residence, the new Act  requires the submission of a request by the public prosecutor, which is submitted for approval within twenty-four hours to the competent Appellate Prosecutor. The validity of the provision begins with the approval of the Prosecutor of Appeals.

What PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis had stated

Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his statement yesterday about the wiretapping emphasized that the objective political responsibility was assumed with the resignation of the general secretary of Grigoris Dimitriadis, while he noted that he himself as prime minister had not been informed, emphasizing that if he had known he would never have allowed the monitoring of Nikos Androulakis .

With regard to the changes in the EYP, he emphasized that: “So, I will willingly discuss proposals that will strengthen the transparency in the action of our secret services without, obviously, hindering their mission. Starting, of course, with the strictest strictures in terms of legal connections. This must be done and will be done immediately by an Act of Legislative Content.

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So, I am submitting today 4 areas of change that the government will propose:

Strengthening the accountability of the EYP and the supervision of the parliament through the Institutions and Transparency Committee.
Upgrading the role of the National Security Council for better utilization of information and the Ministry of Defense.
Shielding the legitimate connections framework for political figures.
Changes within EYP to strengthen internal control, transparency, extroversion and training of its human resources”.

He then added: “I’ll be honest with you. There are many enemies of the country lurking around who would like a weak National Intelligence Agency. And if some dark forces outside Greece strike any plan to destabilize the country, let them know that Greece is both strong and institutionally shielded.

We live in a dangerous world. But we are a Democratic state. And we have a sacred obligation to balance between the security of the place and the citizens and the protection of the fundamental principles that protect the private sphere and the privacy of communications.”