Stormy developments were recorded yesterday for the illegal surveillance through Predator, a software that has its starting point in Cyprus and has... polluting Greece since 2021. These developments took place yesterday on our island and on Greek soil.
Journalistic information in Cyprus, specifically from the Reporter website that was also broadcast in Greece, states that the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority is launching an investigation into the case that prevailed under the name "black van" and which includes the activities of Israeli businessmen Avraam Sahak Avni and Tal Dilian.
In this context, according to the Reporter, it is considered certain that all the publications of "Fileleftheros", which reflect our journalistic research between six years (2016-2022) and are the subject of the signatory's book that has been in circulation since June 24, will be part of the investigation of the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority.
The book "Cyprus, the navel of surveillance" deals not only with the activities of Avni and Dilian on our island, attributing unknown aspects on the subject, but also with the indirect relations of surveillance companies with well-known politicians and officials. In the book, revelations are made about conversations between the latter, in relation to the role of Avni and Dilian, when they were asked for their positions.
"The journalist ... (s.s. refers to the signatory) on the basis of documents and evidence in his possession, he refers to the investigation he carried out on the issue of surveillance in Cyprus, for which it is considered certain that he will be summoned before the investigators in order to provide testimony for investigation" it is noted in the relevant publication.
This report is also reproduced on the website of the well-known newspaper Documento (documentonews.gr), which notes that "the bag of Aeolus has opened and the dark case with the notorious black van is coming to the surface again".
Next steps
If the information is verified, then the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority, if it clarifies that no other parallel investigation is "running" on the issue of surveillance, will appoint inspectors (researchers specializing in legal science), who will act on the basis of their terms of reference. The legislation makes it clear that the role of officials and political figures in relation to capital will be controlled.
Already, however, the Anti-Corruption Authority has been conducting a preliminary investigation for months into complaints made to it in connection with the involvement of officials in the issue of surveillance. This was known in March 2026, at a meeting of the committee of the outgoing parliamentary body (from then until today the May parliamentary elections intervened).
He had confirmed
The Commissioner for Transparency, Haris Pogiatzis, at a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Institutions on 11/3/2026, was asked by MP Irini Charalambidou if the complaints before her by the Anti-Corruption Authority will be investigated. He had also asked for details on the conclusion of the independent criminal investigator, Ilias Stefanou, who had been appointed on the occasion of the black van scandal.
"Article 18 of the Law says that all processes carried out in the Authority are confidential. And there must be a reason to lift confidentiality. At the moment, I see no reason to lift the confidentiality because it is an ongoing investigation and you will be informed of the result," Pogiatzis had said at the time, confirming that the chapter was moving forward.
What will it be about?
Our investigation into the surveillance in Cyprus began in 2016, while since 2017 we have accurately highlighted on the basis of documents the activities of the corporate executives controlled - and by the Cypriot authorities - who later appeared to be active in Greece.
"F" from 2022 and 2023 with continuous publications had linked the case of the black van with Predator and the scandal that broke out in Greece after the contamination of the mobile phones of journalist Thanasis Koukakis and the president of PASOK-Movement for Change, Nikos Androulakis.
At that time, not only did we identify how Tal Dilian and Avraam Sahak Avni were connected to the Predator that shook the political scene in Greece, but we had highlighted their role as employees and their relations with the Cypriot party and the Police. We also identified the names of associates of Dilian and Avni during our research in companies that dealt with the Greek justice and other competent authorities.
The officials who will employ the AuthorityE-mail to the office of Averoff, Savvas and Michalis Angelidis and conclusion of Elias Stefanou
The whole case and the criminal investigation that took place in Cyprus dealt with many issues, which had to do with officials, whom the Anti-Corruption Authority is authorized to control.
Among the cases that are considered certain to concern the Authority is an e-mail that had ended up in the offices of the then president of DISY, Averoff Neophytou, and had been sent by an associate of Avni and Dilian. The latter was requesting service for a software export to the Netherlands. In fact, according to official statements made to us, the e-mail in question and the route (it had been forwarded to the Ministry of Commerce) concerned the independent criminal investigator, Elias Stefanou, who received testimonies from officials.
In addition, the Cypriot surveillance case was taken to the Larnaca Criminal Court in 2021 (fined Dilian's company) under political criticism for the role of the Assistant Attorney General, Savvas Angelides. The latter, as we revealed on September 19, 2021, was called upon to check the Israeli businessman, Abraham Sahak Avni, who was a partner of Michalis Angelidis (they would open a shop under the name Spy Shop), brother of the Assistant Attorney General.
Also, a complaint was filed before the Independent Anti-Corruption Authority that was revealed by "F" (May 2023) and presented three companies that were active in the surveillance industry and which received services from a service office, which was connected to a law firm of Mr. Angelidis' interests.
However, Mr. Angelidis took a position on both cases, when we asked him for a statement. For the first case, he had declared ignorance of his brother's activities, while ruling out the possibility of influencing him. Regarding the relationship between an administrative services office and surveillance companies, he reiterated that "there is no trace of incompatibility in the context of examining the black van case".
In our book published on 24/6 we reveal unknown aspects of the case, while presenting the full positions that Angelidis and Neophytou had made to us. The book also reveals the indirect relationship that the Minister of Justice, Emily Giolitis, had with the company L3Harris. This legal entity, according to a revelation by the New York Times, was allegedly trying to acquire NSO on behalf of a US intelligence agency.
Lawsuit of €7.6 million with a strong Cypriot element
Yesterday, lawsuits were registered on behalf of eight victims of the wiretapping, including the journalist Thanasis Koukakis and other individuals. They are claiming damages of €7.6 million by those involved in the tangle of surveillance. The lawsuits are directed against a total of 14 legal and natural persons, including the four individuals who were sentenced to very heavy sentences (126 years).
One of them, our acquaintance Tal Dilian, who has publicly threatened to disclose his trial in the court of appeal, as well as other executives of the company Intellexa that marketed the Predator software and other persons. Whether or not the sentences are served will depend on the Court of Appeal before which the case will be brought.
The Cypriot element is intense, however. The reference made in the lawsuit and concerns the history of the case is indicative. The history of Predator, which was acquired through a Cypriot company, is recorded, while some persons out of the total of 14 sued are based in Cyprus, such as Sarah Alexandra Hamou, Einat Semana Nisim and Dimitrios Xypteras.
