Greek space agency chief resigns citing lack of transparency

ATHENS, Greece – Greece's left-led government has come under opposition criticism after the head of the country's newly-formed space agency resigned, citing a lack of transparency and political interference in his work.

Respected physicist Stamatios Krimigis, who has worked on key NASA and European Space Agency projects, stepped down just a month after being appointed to lead the agency.

The conservative main opposition party, New Democracy, urged the government Thursday to explain the agency's funding.

In a statement Wednesday, Krimigis accused government officials of trying to manipulate and control the agency. He also complained about a lack of transparency in a planned satellite program to be overseen by the agency.

The government says the agency has not yet received any state funding.