Vodafone Greece mired in wire-tapping scandal

ATHENS, October 19 (RIA Novosti) - The Greek unit of the U.K.'s mobile operator has been fined 19.1 million euros ($26 million) in a wiretapping scandal involving the country's senior officials, the national telecoms regulator said.

The Greek telecommunications and post commission said Friday Vodafone Greece was accused of violating privacy regulations and breaching consumer rights, when the calls of over 100 Vodafone users, including Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, Cabinet ministers and journalists were intercepted during the 2004 summer Olympics through to March 2005.

This is the second fine imposed on Vodafone Greece since December last year, when the company was ordered to pay some 76 million euros ($107 million).

The company, however, said it would appeal the court decision as it considered the fine unlawful.

The Greek branch of the Swedish telecoms giant Sony Ericsson, which provided technical equipment to Vodafone Hellas, was also fined 7.36 million euros ($10.4 million).

Vodafone U.K. is the largest mobile telecommunications network company with a market value of about $172 billion.