Sources at DPA, George Bakalis, are clarifying the facts surrounding Ministry of Justice, denying accusingly the information that brought Mr Bakalis into contact with the European Public Prosecutor, Laura Covesi.

According to specific circles in the ministry, Mr. Bakalis never received an invitation from Laura Covesi, nor was there any form of meeting or communication between the two sides. The same sources underline that the rumour that has developed in recent days is unfounded in fact, as the activities of the DPA have been exclusively in the context of institutional contacts with the Council of Europes.

The agenda of the Vice President of the Authority included participation in a hearing of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

The meeting took place at noon on Tuesday 28 April 2026, in the presence of government and judicial representation. On the PACE side, the presenters Laura Castel (Laura Castel, Spain) and Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, Finland) participated, accompanied by the Secretary of the Commission, Damien Caselin.

From the Greek side, the following participated in the discussion:

* The Deputy Minister of Justice, Ioannis Bougas.

* The Counsel of the Council of State, Marina Skandali.

* The Counsel of the Deputy Minister, Ioannis Germanos.

As circles of the Ministry of Justice point out, the visit of the PACE delegation is part of the established evaluation process for Greece’s compliance with European principles.

During the meeting, critical issues concerning the institutional armouring of the Independent Authorities, the protection of human rights and the enhancement of transparency were put on the agenda. The discussion focused on the extent to which the existing framework allows the SAI to seamlessly perform its supervisory role as the guardian of the rule of law.

With these clarifications, the same sources attempt to “close” once and for all the circle of paraphyllogy, making it clear that the international presence of the DPA is limited to the foreseen institutional evaluations of the European institutions.