MINISTRY OF MINISTRY: The findings on the email gate were delivered to the authorities – Disciplinary actions are recommended

The conclusion of the Ministry of the Interior on the scandal of leaking personal data of foreign voters for the benefit of ND MEP Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou, the so-called email gate, was delivered.

The leak is determined during the period when the country was under a caretaker government, i.e. between May and June 2023, with Kalliopi Spanou as interior minister.

According to the relevant announcement of the Ministry of the Interior, “a central element of the finding is the verification, during the period of May – June 2023, of non-institutionally prescribed traffic, within the Ministry of the Interior, of personal data of Greek citizens who live abroad and were registered to vote in the parliamentary elections of 2023”.

“Non-statutory trafficking”

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the conclusion recommends disciplinary actions based on the findings. “Recommendations are also included to further strengthen security measures in relation to the protection of personal data,” it says.

The conclusion was delivered by the Minister of the Interior Niki Kerameos and the Deputy Minister of the Interior Theodoros Livanios to the head of the Athens Prosecutor’s Office and the president of the Personal Data Protection Authority.

At the same time, it is underlined by the Ministry of the Interior that the minister and the deputy minister “are proceeding with the procedures for the disciplinary actions in question as well as for the further strengthening of security measures in relation to the protection of personal data”.

It is recalled that the general secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Michalis Stavrianoudakis, as well as the secretary of Apodimon of the ND, Nikos Theodoropoulos, were dismissed earlier for the personal data leak scandal. Accordingly, Anna Michel Asimakopoulou was not included in the European ballot of the ruling party.

The announcement of the Ministry of the Interior in detail:

“From the first moment, the political leadership of the Ministry of the Interior stated that the case of complaints about sending e-mails to Greek citizens living abroad will be fully clarified.

Precisely for this reason, on the first working day after the citizens’ complaints, the Minister Niki Kerameos and the Deputy Minister Thodoris Livanios, gave an order to carry out an internal audit at the Ministry of the Interior.

The Internal Audit Unit of the Ministry carried out a full audit that resulted in an extensive conclusion, which Ms. Kerameos and Mr. Livanios handed over today to the Head of the Athens Prosecutor’s Office and the President of the Personal Data Protection Authority, to facilitate their investigations.

A central element of the finding is the verification, during the period of May – June 2023, of non-institutionally prescribed traffic, within the Ministry of the Interior, of personal data of Greek citizens living abroad who had registered to vote in the 2023 parliamentary elections.

The finding recommends disciplinary action based on the findings. Recommendations are also included to further strengthen security measures in relation to the protection of personal data.

On the basis of the Internal Audit findings, the Minister and the Deputy Minister proceed with the procedures for the said disciplinary actions as well as for the further strengthening of the security measures in relation to the protection of personal data”.