LONDON (Thomson Financial) - The telecoms regulator on Thursday fined the Greek unit of UK mobile giant Vodafone 19.1 mln eur for violating network regulations in a wire-tapping scandal that rocked the country last year.

The fine is the second handed to Vodafone Hellas over the case after a 76 mln eur penalty levelled by Greece's communication privacy watchdog last December.

Some 100 Vodafone cellphones in February 2006 were found to have been compromised by an illicit network that tapped sets used by Greek Premier Costas Karamanlis, his wife and several ministers from June 2004 to March 2005.

The tapping used software slipped into Vodafone's network by unknown perpetrators to illegally activate an Ericsson-made module permitting call interception.

On Thursday, the national telecommunications regulator EETT accused Vodafone of breaching regulations on the protection of telecommunications privacy, network maintenance and quality, and consumer protection.

The company rejected last December's fine as 'illegal, unfair and baseless.'

A Greek parliament committee collecting evidence on the case last November noted the involvement of three employees of telecoms giants Ericsson Hellas and Vodafone Greece, identified only by their initials.

'The whole system could not operate without Ericsson know-how and without access from within (Vodafone),' the report said.

The Greek branch of Swedish telecom equipment giant Ericsson has also been fined 7.36 mln eur over the case.

The parliamentary committee did not rule out the involvement of other people operating outside Greece.

The Greek justice department has opened an investigation into the case but nobody has yet been charged.

Days before the affair came to light, a senior Vodafone expert was found hanged inside his home.

The death of Costas Tsalikidis, manager of Vodafone Greece's network planning section, was linked to the case and his family suspects he was murdered.

It will be interesting to see if Verizon's tripled Q1 profit has much effect.

Yes VOD SP has dropped further. ???

VOD seem to be learning the hard way how difficult it is to do business in India.

tanks - don't be such an arrogant shit :-))

added 170k worth could not resist

Oversold imo.

looking for 190 to 210p in 6 month

2.5m buy just

one thing's for sure - VOD won't be going belly up

Unlike HMV, DXNS, YELL, GAME

next tueday vod could raise the div to over 8p for final div .

swimming in cash and buyback and div rise on cards , buy buy buy

spending billions on share buybacks hasn't done much for the sp, shareholders certainly would rather have a larger dividend.

swimming in cash and buyback and div rise on cards , buy buy buy ..... very similar mantra to what you posted on MRW .... and i applaud you for buying VOD at 269, seemingly today, for that looks to have been even below the bottom

halifax . i posted on here to buy mrw at 265p which i did sold out in the lst couple of days at 308p i am now telling posters to buy VOD good up date next week will push these up ex div 1st june and expecting a good rise in div . cash is going to be given back to holders .

MRW - you did indeed, but unlike you, i am happy to keep holding them

cynic i WILL buy back mrw at under 285p in june . vod have almost ended there bu back and still have to much cash so i think a bigger div . good luck to you and good health . i am going to sell vod at 185p

cynic there could be a sell off before close in mrw before ex

possibly and i may self half ..... very undecided

He who dares wins .....