Charges Filed in Greek Wiretap Scandal

ATHENS, Greece  -- Greek judicial authorities on Friday filed charges of attempted espionage in a wiretapping scandal which targeted Greece's prime minister and other senior officials during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

The charges were not been brought against any individual. Under Greek law, charges can be brought against "all found responsible" when a specific suspect has not been identified. A probe that ended in 2008 failed to produce any suspects.

Former Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, senior government and military officials, human rights activists and journalists were among 106 users of the Greece Vodafone mobile network targeted by unknown hackers from just before the August 2004 Games until March 2005.

The charge was a felony count of attempted espionage instead of espionage, because prosecutor Dimitris Dasoulas determined those whose phones were tapped had not discussed sensitive issues on the targeted phones, and that therefore those tapping them did not obtain state secrets.

Dasoulas was heading a new investigation into the issue ordered in September last year.

Vodafone's operations in Greece and the Greek unit of Swedish-based telecom equipment maker Ericsson were both fined in 2007 for failing to protect the network.