Greek PM defends workings of intelligence service

By ELENA BECATOROS
Associated Press

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece’s prime minister has defended the workings of the country’s intelligence service in the face of a wiretapping scandal, saying its operation is essential to the country’s security despite what he described as the misstep of tapping an opposition politician’s phone. Speaking during a parliamentary debate called by the main opposition party, Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that “nothing must bring into question this valuable branch of the state.” Parliament returned early from its summer break for the debate after revelations that Nikos Androulakis, head of Greece’s third-largest political party, was put under surveillance for three months last year when he was running for his PASOK party’s leadership, and that a financial journalist was also under surveillance.