The Special Permanent Committee on Parliamentary Ethics on Monday unanimously recommended the lifting of immunity of two MPs from ruling party New Democracy. The total number of ND MPs whose name has been involved in the case file of European Public Prosecutors’ office on OPEKEPE scandal rises to 13.
Lifting of immunity of MPs Charalampos Athanasiou and Tasos Chatzivasileiou, is in connection with a case file examining intercessions they made on behalf of farmers for the payment of subsidies from the Greek payment authority for EU subsidies, OPEKEPE,.
Athanasiou, an MP from the island of Lesvos, held the position of Minister of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights from June 2013 to January 2015.
Both MPs had requested the lifting of their immunity.
Athanasiou appeared before the committee in person and also asked for his immunity to be lifted. In statements to parliamentary reporters, he noted that the case file did not appear to refer to any offense on his part, noting that for an MP to contact the administration over the affairs of citizens lay within an MP’s obligations.
In a written memorandum, Chatzivasileiou expressed his desire for the immediate lifting of his immunity so that the affair might swiftly close and categorically denied that he had instigated any breach of duty, while expressing his complete faith in Greek justice and its functionaries.
Referring to the telephone call he had made on behalf of a farmer, he said that he “acted exclusively within the boundaries of my parliamentary duties and obligations. On no account did I attempt, plan or execute any illegal act, nor did I turn against the interests of the public sector and the EU.”
The Committee’s recommendation will be submitted to the plenary for a final decision on Wednesday, alongside the cases of another 11 MPs for which the committee also unanimously recommended the lifting of their asylum, in accordance with their own wishes.
Media claim on Monday that the body of New Democracy lawmakers appears to be divided on whether to vote in favor of lifting the immunity of the 13 MPs.
