Both the authorities and absorption are expecting the lawsuit record to beryllium submitted to the Hellenic Parliament successful bid to find their adjacent moves.
The governmental magnitude of the lawsuit is evident, arsenic are the tremors wrong the ruling majority, fixed that the 2nd lawsuit record includes a petition to assistance the parliamentary immunity of 11 sitting MPs, on with 2 further governmental figures, each from New Democracy. The cardinal issue, however, lies successful the transgression magnitude and however it volition beryllium assessed, arsenic the disposable grounds suggests a wide gradation of responsibility. For instance, 2 erstwhile ministers are reportedly straight involved, allegedly exerting unit regarding OPEKEPE funds, portion others are said to person engaged successful clientelist-style interventions oregon recommendations. Some look lone indirectly involved, with their names invoked by 3rd parties. It is clarified that lifting immunity does not automatically connote guilt. Since 2019, the immunity of astir 90 MPs has been lifted successful assorted cases without starring to incriminating findings.
The authorities has stated it volition analyse the lawsuit record earlier taking a presumption connected each idiosyncratic case. Based connected existent information, a — adjacent constricted — furniture reshuffle should beryllium expected, depending connected the level of engagement of each figure. “Do not rush, we person not yet reviewed the lawsuit file,” a elder authorities root noted.
Who are the “11+2” governmental figures mentioned successful the lawsuit file
The scope of the lawsuit extends beyond the 11 sitting MPs. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office besides refers to 5 erstwhile MPs, bringing the full fig of existent and erstwhile governmental figures to 18.
According to reports, the 11+2 individuals named successful the caller lawsuit file, for whom Parliament is asked to proceed the probe and assistance immunity, are the pursuing New Democracy MPs:
- Katerina Papakosta
- Konstantinos Karamanlis
- Ioannis Kefalogiannis
- Panagiotis Mitarakis
- Konstantinos Tsiaras
- Konstantinos Skrekas
- Dimitrios Vartzopoulos
- Maximos Senetakis
- Vasileios Vasileiadis
- Christos Boukoros
- Theofilos Leontaridis
In addition, grounds has reportedly emerged suggesting imaginable engagement of a erstwhile Minister and a erstwhile Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food, during their clip successful office. According to information, these are Spilios Livanos and Foteini Arabatzi. Both cases autumn nether Article 86 concerning ministerial responsibility. The lawsuit record includes each findings of the investigation, arsenic good arsenic recorded conversations obtained done lawful surveillance successful 2021.
Timeline: When the lawsuit record volition scope Parliament
As antecedently reported, the lawsuit record had not been received by the Ministry of Justice arsenic of Wednesday afternoon, meaning the process is expected to instrumentality spot connected Thursday. If received successful the morning, it volition instrumentality astatine slightest 3–4 hours for the indispensable administrative procedures earlier it is signed by the curate and forwarded to Parliament. If delayed, it whitethorn get connected Friday.
The petition volition beryllium instantly forwarded by the Speaker of Parliament, Nikitas Kaklamanis, to the caput of the Ethics Committee, Giorgos Georgantas, who volition administer copies to committee members.
The 11 MPs nether probe volition past person astatine slightest 2 days to reappraisal the record earlier presenting their statements to the Ethics Committee, apt by Holy Monday oregon Holy Tuesday. For erstwhile ministers, owed to confidentiality rules, committee members volition lone beryllium capable to reappraisal the record successful a designated unafraid space.
The committee volition past urge to the plenary whether to assistance immunity for each MP individually. A plenary league indispensable follow, with a roll-call ballot deciding the outcome. While the committee typically has up to 1 week, imaginable statute-of-limitations issues whitethorn accelerate the process.
Lifting immunity requires a elemental bulk of those present. For prosecution of erstwhile ministers, the process nether Article 86 applies, requiring a plenary league and a concealed ballot with an implicit bulk of 151 votes.
Government reaction: “A superior development”
The authorities has described the concern arsenic a “serious development” and is awaiting afloat details earlier making decisions. “Any judgement cannot beryllium based connected journalistic information,” authorities sources stated.
Once the afloat lawsuit record is reviewed, the authorities whitethorn travel the aforesaid attack arsenic successful the archetypal lawsuit file, which led to resignations of erstwhile Migration Minister Makis Voridis and 3 lawman ministers (Tasos Chatzivasileiou, Christos Boukoros, and Dionysis Stamenitis). If so, ministers mentioned successful the record whitethorn beryllium replaced.
Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis stated:
“The announcement by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office constitutes a superior development. We are awaiting the transmission of the lawsuit record to the Hellenic Parliament successful bid to measure each lawsuit individually.”
A lawsuit with large governmental implications
The lawsuit involves a full of 18 existent and erstwhile governmental figures. It is considered nary coincidence that a scheduled parliamentary statement connected the regularisation of instrumentality was postponed to April 17, with galore linking the determination to the expected submission of the lawsuit file.
Particular involvement lies successful the valuation of the evidence. According to unofficial information, recorded conversations involving 2 MPs who person served successful authorities are considered particularly incriminating, some politically and legally.
Some conversations suggest progressive involvement, including unit oregon beardown recommendations directed astatine officials regarding circumstantial cases. This is wherever the transgression magnitude emerges, arsenic specified actions could subordinate to offenses similar incitement to breach of work oregon information successful procedures starring to unlawful disbursement of EU funds.
For others, nary nonstop transgression liability appears to arise. Their actions look to autumn wrong a acquainted — though institutionally problematic — model of governmental mediation for favors, resembling accepted clientelism, peculiarly successful agrarian constituencies.
In respective cases, references are adjacent much indirect, stemming from third-party conversations invoking governmental backing without grounds of nonstop intervention. This creates a spectrum of responsibility, from governmental facilitation to perchance prosecutable conduct.
The relation of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office
According to its announcement, the probe concerns superior offenses against the fiscal interests of the European Union, including incitement to breach of trust, physics fraud, and mendacious certification aimed astatine unlawful fiscal summation for 3rd parties. The alleged acts day backmost to 2021 and are linked to an organized strategy to exploit cultivation funds.
The lawsuit besides highlights organization limitations successful investigating governmental figures. Under Article 86 of the Greek Constitution, immoderate grounds concerning ministerial work indispensable beryllium forwarded to Parliament, forcing the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to abstracted procedures and limiting its quality to behaviour a unified investigation.
In immoderate case, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office emphasized that nary further details volition beryllium released for now, successful bid to support the integrity of the investigation. All individuals progressive are presumed guiltless until proven guilty. However, the governmental interaction is already important and is expected to signifier the governmental docket successful the coming weeks.
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