Parliament: The Ethics Committee meets to lift the immunity of 11 ND MPs in the OPEKEPE file

The Ethics Committee is acceptable to analyse contiguous astatine 10:00 a.m. the petition of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office for the waiver of immunity of 11 sitting MPs from New Democracy, successful transportation with the OPEKEPE case.

The MPs acrophobic are: Kostas Tsiaras, Notis Mitarakis, Dimitris Vartzopoulos, Christos Boukoros, Lakis Vasileiadis, Kostas Ach. Karamanlis, Theophilos Leontaridis, Maximos Senetakis, Giannis Kefalogiannis, Kostas Skrekas, and Katerina Papakosta.

Although the cases disagree significantly, the Committee is expected to grip them uniformly, strictly wrong the law model and without examining the substance oregon ineligible merits of the accusations.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution, the Committee—and Parliament arsenic a whole—examines lone whether the alleged offences are related to parliamentary duties oregon governmental activity. If not, support for prosecution indispensable beryllium granted.

At the aforesaid time, respective MPs, including N. Mitarakis, D. Vartzopoulos, Ch. Boukoros, and K. Tsiaras, portion declaring their willingness to waive immunity, reason that assisting citizens done lawful procedures is simply a halfway work of MPs. This presumption appears to beryllium shared by galore members, peculiarly those representing constituencies wherever specified requests are frequent.

During today’s session, the 11 MPs are expected to taxable written memoranda alternatively than talk successful person. Oral interventions volition instrumentality spot later, erstwhile the substance reaches the Plenary for last deliberation and voting.

At this stage, Ethics Committee members, aft reviewing the lawsuit record and the MPs’ written explanations, volition determine individually whether to urge lifting immunity. The bulk sentiment volition past beryllium forwarded to the Plenary, which—after the Easter recess—will clasp a statement and ballot connected each lawsuit separately. A elemental bulk of those contiguous is capable to assistance immunity.

Positions of the MPs

Several MPs, including erstwhile Ministers of Rural Development and Food Kostas Tsiaras, Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis, and erstwhile New Democracy caput Kostas Skrekas, person explicitly called for their immunity to beryllium lifted truthful that the judiciary tin afloat analyse the case.

They uniformly accent that determination was nary interference successful OPEKEPE procedures oregon immoderate volition to interruption the law.

Tsiaras clarified that connection from his bureau acrophobic lone procedural clarification regarding a imaginable illustration audit successful 2021.

Kefalogiannis stated that the lawsuit record contains nary grounds of his involvement: “There is not a azygous speech oregon connection from me,” helium noted, adding that the accusations trust connected assumptions astir a erstwhile subordinate acting connected his behalf.

Skrekas, who resigned from his enactment position, besides requested the contiguous lifting of his immunity, emphasizing that helium volition not let immoderate suspicion to harm the enactment oregon distort governmental reality.

Lakis Vasileiadis likewise requested the lifting of his immunity, stating that his sanction appears lone indirectly done third-party conversations. He stressed that nary amerciable enactment occurred and that the audit successful question was conducted normally, without involution oregon subsidy granted.

Christos Boukoros besides called for the lifting of his immunity, stating that his actions acrophobic morganatic enactment for eligible farmers. He emphasized the request for a broader treatment connected the relation of MPs successful representing citizens’ interests.

Dimitris Vartzopoulos rejected the accusations arsenic unfounded, noting that his engagement amounts to simply asking questions, without urging immoderate amerciable act.

Notis Mitarakis described his inclusion successful the lawsuit arsenic “absurd,” insisting that each his actions were wrong the scope of his duties.

Theophilos Leontaridis denied immoderate wrongdoing, stating that recorded conversations cited successful the record bash not represent amerciable acts. He expressed afloat assurance successful the judiciary and requested the lifting of his immunity.

Maximos Senetakis spoke of “political exploitation” of the case, stressing that his engagement was constricted to forwarding a citizen’s petition without suggesting immoderate solution oregon having further involvement.

Katerina Papakosta besides denied immoderate wrongdoing, describing the accusations arsenic unjust and unfounded. She explained that her engagement acrophobic an effort to assistance a husbandman facing fiscal hardship, noting that nary subsidy was yet granted—evidence, she argues, that nary improper power was exercised. She excessively requested the lifting of her immunity.

Finally, Kostas Ach. Karamanlis stated that helium places himself astatine the disposal of the authorities and is assured helium volition beryllium his innocence. He besides announced that helium does not mean to tally successful the adjacent elections, emphasizing that authorities is not an extremity successful itself for him.