Lazaridis resigns as deputy agriculture minister amid qualifications row

Makarios Lazaridis resigned arsenic lawman agriculture curate connected Saturday, saying helium was stepping down to debar distracting the authorities from its work, amid an ongoing quality implicit his world qualifications and governmental unit within the administration.

Lazaridis had been appointed successful a constricted furniture reshuffle earlier this period that replaced ministers who stepped down aft their names appeared successful a caller lawsuit record linked to a widening workplace subsidies scandal.

He subsequently faced crisp disapproval implicit a grade helium submitted successful 2007 to service arsenic an adept idiosyncratic successful the bureau of the precocious acquisition curate Marietta Giannakou.

Until Saturday, helium had refused to resign, saying that if helium should person been appointed arsenic a special subordinate alternatively than a special adviser, this occurred “without immoderate involution oregon prime connected my part.” He besides offered to instrumentality immoderate salaries helium improperly received, with interest, a determination critics interpreted arsenic an admittance of wrongdoing.

In his resignation statement connected Saturday, Lazaridis defended his record, saying helium had lived “with honesty and dignity” and served the state “with consistency and a consciousness of duty.” He said helium had supported Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the New Democracy enactment passim his governmental career, some successful absorption and successful government.

He besides said helium had been elected twice arsenic a subordinate of parliament for Kavala successful bluish Greece, and described his 2019 disclosure of fiscal assets arsenic impervious of his committedness to transparency.

Lazaridis accused absorption parties of “toxic attacks” and “slander” implicit an contented dating backmost astir 20 years, while insisting helium had acted with governmental dignity passim the controversy.

He said helium was resigning to guarantee the authorities and the agriculture ministry could proceed their work “without distraction.”