EPPO Goes After Government-Linked Greek Spyware Company

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) opened an investigation in Greece into the powerful spyware ‘Predator’, Euractiv reports.

The news outlet reported on April 4th that sources close to the EU Parliament’s PEGA committee, which tracks the use of spyware in the bloc, asked the EPPO to investigate exports of spyware from Greece to countries outside the EU, along with related tax evasion. According to Euractiv’s source, the EPPO decided to undertake the investigation, though the EPPO would not officially comment on an active investigation.

Greek journalists reported in November 2022 that spyware had been exported illegally from Greece to countries in Asia, Africa, and other continents with the companies involved engaged in tax evasion.

“Lighthouse Reports and its partners Haaretz in Israel and Greece’s Inside Story have been investigating the activities of Intellexa, a spyware firm whose activities spread from Europe across much of the global south,” the report published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz read.

It cited violence-engulfed Sudan as one of the countries that bought spyware from Greece-based company Intellexa, maker of ‘Predator.’  

Euractiv also reports that two different sources said the EU prosecutor had received specific information from Greek journalists in recent weeks. One source close to the matter said,

The persons who testified to the prosecutors submitted evidence proving that the administration of (Prime Minister) Kyriakos Mitsotakis facilitated the proliferation of Intellexa’s Predator spyware to countries such as Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Madagascar, and Bangladesh by granting export licences through the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At first, the Greek government denied any involvement but later said it was investigating whether all the prescribed procedures for the export were correctly followed.

Legally, spyware is subject to Regulation (EU) 2021/821 for so-called ‘dual-use’ products that need a special export licence since they can be used to cause harm. The EPPO is investigating whether the Greek government favoured the Greek company Intellexa in granting the export licence.