ATHENS – The unrelenting but mostly buried spying on Greek politicians and reportedly the head of the military, judges and business people has “damaged democracy at its core,” major rival SYRIZA party leader Alexis Tsipras said.

The former premier, whose ruled ended ignominiously when he was routed in July, 2019 snap elections by New Democracy, is trying to keep alive the issue of surveillance that the government admitted is being done with phone taps but denied using Predator spyware.

Tsipras said, however, that the tracking of “party leaders, deputies, ministers, MPs and MEPs, journalists, business people and judges that were revealed,” also put the national security at risk.

He was speaking to +NEWS streaming station in Kastoria in northwestern Greece which feeds regional news outlets while touring prefectures in the region, said the state-run Athens-Macedonia News Agency ANA-MPA.

Tsipras stressed that he will strive so those responsible for this “aberration carried out in terms of both the constitution and of the country’s national security” are held accountable.

He said proof of wiretapping can be found through telecommunications providers, the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security & Privacy (ADAE), and the prosecutor who signed off on the intrusions, noted Tsipras, “and they will provide all the answers.”