ATHENS – PASOK-KINAL Socialist leader Nikos Androulakis said that Eva Kaili, the party’s former Member of the European Parliament he ousted after she was caught up in a corruption probe, was planning to jump ship to New Democracy.

Androulakis – also a Member of the European Parliament – said that Kaili, who praised Qatar’s labor rights record before being questioned over a bribery scandal involving that country – wasn’t expelled sooner because she was on a panel looking into the use of spyware in the European Union.

Androulakis’ phone was bugged by Greece’s National Intelligence Service EYP and he said an attempt was made to put Predator spyware on it but failed when he didn’t open a link that was sent.

Talking to party members, he said he acted swiftly when Kaili was questioned in the corruption investigation into the European Parliament and Qatar allegedly trying to peddle influence there as it hosted the World Cup.

“I have no commitments or debts to anyone. I will not compromise with those that have hurt the party in the past …behaviors that impede the party’s upward course will not be tolerated,” he said of his stance.

Kaili was also suspended from her position as one of 14 Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament and drew surprise in November when she spoke in glowing terms of Qatar where some media said 6500 foreign workers died making stadiums for the soccer championship, which the government denied.

Androulakis said New Democracy is now trying to link the surveillance of his phone for national security reasons it didn’t specify to the case against Kaili, before she had been able to bolt for the Conservatives.