Karamanlis announces he will not run in next election, amid EU farm subsidy probe

New Democracy lawmaker and erstwhile transport curate Kostas A. Karamanlis announced Saturday that helium will not beryllium a campaigner successful the adjacent wide election, aft helium was named successful 1 of the lawsuit files concerning a monolithic workplace subsidies ungraded that was sent to Parliament on Friday.

“I spot myself astatine the disposal of the competent authorities on with my chap MPs, who are allegedly progressive successful the OPEKEPE case. I americium guiltless and will beryllium my innocence wherever I americium called upon [to testify],” helium said successful a statement.

“However, due to the fact that authorities is not an extremity successful itself for me, I state that I bash not mean to beryllium a campaigner successful the upcoming elections.”

The MP from Serres is among the 11 lawmakers of the ruling enactment named successful an ongoing probe by European prosecutors into the alleged fraud successful the organisation of European Union workplace subsidies to governmental cronies done the now-defunct OPEKEPE state agency.

Pressured by the caller revelations, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reshuffled his furniture on Friday, replacing each the MPs named successful the OPEKEPE files. 

Karamanlis said will exhaust his existent parliamentary term.

It will beryllium the archetypal clip since 1974 that nary subordinate of the Karamanlis governmental dynasty is successful the Greek Parliament.