Greek Parliament decided with a large majority to proceed to prosecution charges against former Defense Minister, Akis Tsochatzopoulos on two offenses and to refer him to Judicial Council. 242 lawmakers accepted in a secret vote the findings of the Special Parliamentary Committee investigating the purchase of German submarines and allegedly paid bribes by the Ferrostaal.
For the offence of passive corruption, 216 MPs voted in favor.
For the offense of legalizing illegal money 215 MPs said “YES”.
The Judicial Council has to be set up up five judges who will have to decide whether the charges have been timely written off and whether he would be on trial by a Special or a normal court.
Before the vote and speaking in front of his former party-colleagues at the Parliament, Akis Tsochatzopoulos used harsh criticism and language against governing party PASOK. “This PASOK became synonymous with the martyrdom of the Greek people, it is not my party”. Tsochatzopoulos was member of PASOK for some 30 years.
Also many PASOK members and voters do not recognize the PAnhellenic SOcialist Party anymore, but for different reasons…. 🙂
I fear this may just be a crowd -pleasing tactic on the part of the government, but hey, they have to start somewhere!
it might look like that but they had lot of evidence so that a different outcome would be very challening. Yet there is a long process to go. And yet, one is not enough. Politically he was finished anyway.
Might be nice if he, because he was politically finished and over 70, feels that he has nothing to loose. Or maybe just loosing his cool now. Either way this could be the trigger for him to start talking about who is also implicated.
He is still doing his damned best to implicate Papandreou, Venizelos, Simitis and the whole defence counsil.
So, there are three ways. First, the Greek way: postponing, postponing, postponing. Second, the German way: cutting some deal behind the scenes. Third, the French way: getting an accident or sudden illness. Let’s hope there will be the fourth, let’s call that The Define way: as in what I described above.