Sharp “fire”has been unleashed by the Health Minister, Adonis Georgiadis, speaking to Parapolitika 90.1 against European Prosecutor’s Office, against the backdrop of the prosecutions in the OPEKEPE case.
As he said, “Ms Papandreou’s sending of this dossier is an attack on Democracy, not on New Democracy”, while noting that the Speaker of the Parliament should “have taken some initiative“, while calling the cases “cases“. At the same time, he came back with sharp tones against the European Public Prosecutor, denouncing continuing leaks from the files, which produce political results.
At the same time, he responded to the statement by the Union of Judges and Prosecutors, stressing the need to respect the distinction of powers. As a member of the legislature, he stressed, he reserves the right to judge whether there has been “error” in the passing of laws, referring to the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in 2021.
Excerpts from the interview
Referring to the European Public Prosecutor and the Prime Minister’s stance on the OPEKEPE case, noted that Kyriakos Mitsotakis “expressed a reality in an elegant way”, calling on her to prove her neutrality. He added that there is a wider perception in the Parliament that this is “funny stuff”, reiterating that sending the dossier constitutes “an attack on democracy“.
He also argued that the criminalisation of a MP’s daily life constituted a “big problem”, noting that the Speaker should have taken action. He said that MPs’ communication with agencies is a constitutional right, raising the question of whether “it is a criminal offence for an MP to talk on the phone”.
As for the waiver of immunity, he said it was being asked so as not to raise suspicions of a cover-up, arguing that the cases in question “have no criminal value” and calling it “an outrageous handling” of the files.
Addressing the Justice is respected, he stressed that Justice is respected, but that he has the right to respond to criticism. He reiterated that the separation of powers means that the legislature does not interfere with the judiciary, but questioned whether the reverse is true.
As for the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, he noted that it was made by law in 2021, stressing that an elected legislature can recognize a potential error. He said he believes in separation of powers, but “everyone has to stay in their role.”
As for his confidence in the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, he said it has been shaken, citing leaks in the press that create political headlines. As he said, “a prosecutor who leaks information on political issues can hardly be taken seriously.”
Commenting on the content of the files, he argued that there is no substantial evidence, beyond telephone intercepts, and that the aim is to create political tension, not justice.
He also cited the prime minister’s statements, noting that the overall handling shows no intention of delivering justice, but of creating political impressions. At the same time, he stressed the importance of the presumption of innocence, noting the impact an accusation can have on a person’s career.
He even called the case of Tragic Kostas Tsiaras, describing his involvement in the case, and referred to the debate in Parliament, where two different images were presented: a “serious and measured” prime minister and an opposition “in a wild state“.
Responding to opposition criticism and calls for elections, he asked what the proposal for the future of the country was, noting that no counter-proposals to the ideas for the Constitutional Review had been tabled.
Finally, he referred to Ms Papandreou’s case and developments with her tenure, said that he has lost confidence in her, stressing that a prosecutor must consider the consequences of his actions.
