Finance Minister Yiannis Stournaras confirmed on Thursday morning, that there is indeed a list containing the names of 32 politicians and that Financial Crimes Squads (SDOE) are currently investigate the cases. However, “the number of the political persons under investigation is not stable but it changes at given time,” Stournaras said in a letter to the Parliament to reply to a relevant question posed by Nikos Tsoukalis, MP from government partner Democratic Left.
Supreme Court Probes Alleged “List” of 30 Corrupt Politicians
Is there a list? Where is the list? If there is a list, who are the 30 Greek corrupt politicians? If there are indeed 30 corrupt politicians, will we ever learn their names? Insistent questions that need immediate answers.
“Greece’s Supreme Court ordered a probe into [media] reports that the Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE) has compiled a list of 30 politicians, including former ministers, current lawmakers, local authority officials and general secretaries at ministries, who it is investigating for corruption and tax evasion.
Supreme Court deputy prosecutor Nikos Pantelis asked Greece’s two financial prosecutors, Grigoris Peponis and Spyros Mouzakitis, to conduct a preliminary investigation to establish whether such a list exists and what stage SDOE’s probe has reached. If the list exists, then prosecutors will take over the investigation.
SDOE began looking into the financial dealings of some 500 national and local politicians earlier this year. At the beginning of this month, it announced that it had frozen the assets of 121 suspected tax evaders as part of a separate investigation.” (ekathimerini)
Private broadcaster Skai reported this morning, that the financial prosecutors will have concluded the probe by next week.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Andreas Roupakiotis, announced the creation of a national action plan against corruption and favored the immediate change of the law protecting ministers from being held responsible for their actions.
“This is not only a demand posed by the Greek society, but also by the European Council and the OECD,” Roupakiotis told the Parliament and stressed:
“Current and former ministers who have served in sectors of the public administration to be treated equally and egally like all other citizens.”
Roupakiotis sid the proposals for the national anti-corruption action plan were expected next week.
PS I have been thinking all of the time, that former defense minister Tsochatzopoulos was the only Greek politician who deserve to be sent to prison and wait there in a 2×2-cell for his trial.
I think the more obvious question is
I do like the idea of
It is the only way to stop thee people from getting too powerful and corrupt.
It reminds of the days in school when one of the great examples of democracy in action was given as Pericles, who saved Athens from the Persian armies, got booted out of the city a few years later by popular vote because he became too powerful. I can think of a lot of backsides that need kicking, based on that example of proper democracy.
The other one I always liked was the Roman habit of hunting down the People’s Tribune (today’s MP) and kicking the living daylights out of him if the people thought he wasn’t representing them properly against the Senate and the ruling classes… Will history repeat itself 🙂
I didn’t asked the obvious “only 30?” because it was … obvious it would be 32 🙂
I agree. Only 30? At least it’s a start. It will be interesting to see when the list will be acted upon and the results! Thanks for all you do, KTG!!!