The Athens trial targets four business figures accused of violating communications privacy laws.
A new revelation has added significant weight to concerns over the intersection of private spyware developers and state-linked contractors in Greece's expanding illegal-surveillance scandal. Greek investigative outlet Tvxs.gr has uncovered evidence that Intellexa, the company behind the Predator spyware system, held operational training sessions inside the offices of Krikel, a firm involved in sensitive Greek Police procurements.
The disclosure comes as a high-profile trial unfolds in Athens, probing the alleged deployment of Predator against journalists, political figures, and public officials.
The Athens trial targets four business figures accused of violating communications privacy laws: Giannis Lavranos, reportedly the real owner of the security contractor Krikel, and Felix Bitzios, Tal Dilian, and Sara Hamou, linked to Intellexa - the company that developed and managed Predator.
According to case-file documents cited by Tvxs.gr, a travel expense log submitted by Israeli Intellexa employee Ofer Norich documented Uber trips on 20 and 21 April 2022 from his accommodation in Glyfada to Krikel's headquarters on Ifaistou Street in Maroussi, northern Athens. The stated purpose for the trips was "training."
These logs were accompanied by payment records, creating a paper trail that investigators say confirms Intellexa's physical presence inside Krikel's facilities. The period is particularly sensitive: only days earlier, Greek media outlet Inside Story had published the first detailed investigation revealing Predator's use against financial journalist Thanasis Koukakis, igniting public alarm and international concern.
Tvxs.gr notes that this timing suggests Intellexa may have relocated some activities from its main base in the Athens suburb of Elliniko to Krikel's building amid rising scrutiny.
Intellexa's training inside Krikel's premises adds to the growing evidence that the two companies operated in close proximity — despite persistent denials from those involved. The Maroussi building that housed Krikel is owned by a firm linked to Felix Bitzios, an Intellexa shareholder and close associate of Lavranos.
According to the Tvxs.gr investigation, Krikel's longtime technical head, Sotiris Dallas, was present during the Intellexa training sessions and had maintained a permanent office inside the facility.
The report also shows that Dallas had been deeply embedded in Krikel's operations, managing communications and logistics while helping oversee company activities in connection with security-related contracts.
The spyware probe runs in parallel to sweeping fiscal-crime investigations involving the same network. Prosecutors and tax authorities have uncovered evidence that Lavranos and associated entities engaged in large-scale tax evasion, fake invoicing schemes, and the use of "front men" to conceal corporate control.
The tax fraud dimension of the Predator affair has also drawn attention beyond Greece. On 1 October, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi was asked by journalists about potential tax-crime investigations linked to companies involved in the spyware scandal, reflecting growing EU-level scrutiny of the financial networks surrounding the case.
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