Greek PM denies knowing about tapping of opponent’s phone

The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, insists he was unaware that the country's intelligence service had been bugging the mobile phone of an opposition politician for three months. Photograph: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP

The Greek prime minister has attempted to douse a wiretapping scandal engulfing his government, claiming he had no idea the country’s socialist party leader was being monitored by intelligence services reporting directly to him.

In an address to the nation on Monday, Kyriakos Mitsotakis described the phone tapping of the Pasok party chief, Nikos Androulakis, as a mistake that should never have occurred.