Mr. Karamanlis referred to the personal attacks he has received in the last year, he argued that the target of the attacks is the government and the ND, he made reference to Mati, saying that when he and the prime minister went to the scene a few hours after the tragedy, “they did not they played a theater like in Mati”. “Whoever has accusations against me, bring them, I’m here, we’re all here,” he said.
The former minister went up to the floor of the Parliament saying initially: “I would like to bow with absolute respect to the memory of those who perished in Tempi, but also to all those who were in the wagons on the fateful night and their families. None of us, least of all me, can feel the pain and emptiness of their loss. Absolute respect means consciously refraining from exploiting human suffering, and there is no one in the room who wants the truth to shine more than me
Since October, I have asked those who criticize me to request the formation of a preliminary investigation committee, to draw up a specific indictment and to come here to see if and how much basis it has. Here, not in the people’s courts. I don’t hide, I didn’t hide and I won’t hide behind any parliamentary immunity.”
He then emphasized: “We did not play political theater like others in Mati, I resigned immediately. I could never say that we did everything right, so I took political responsibility.”
Speaking about the case and the accusations leveled against him, he emphasized: “Let’s go see the truth in the other matter. That the government allegedly put it down to human error. There were many mistakes and there is a confession. There was an accumulation of errors. There were seven violations. Following violation of the regulation. The security systems present in 15% of the European network are presented to the opposition as supposedly self-evident.
You accused me while I immediately resigned. I took political responsibility. A cover-up is deliberately distorting the truth in order to survive politically. Stepping on human pain and belittling processes. To foster institutions.
You think I’m not in pain. That I don’t shudder when I consider the drama that so many families went through? That not a single day goes by that I don’t think about the tragedy? That I wouldn’t give anything to save those 57 people? I speak as a father of 3 children. I was at the scene as was the prime minister. The images will never fade from my memory.
We have a mock opposition. Your target is not me, it is Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the New Democracy faction. This faction will not hand over the keys of the country to the gatekeepers of vested interests. Anyone who really has accusations against me should bring them up and stop shouting. I’m here, we’re all here.”
Mr. Karamanlis referred to the 717 convention saying that “The opposition blames me because the contract was completed in September 2023 and not earlier. At the same time, the opposition adopts the rationale of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. Which says what? That the contract should have been canceled and started over. Which if I did, we would not only not have a completed project, but not even a contract. Not in February ’23 or September ’23.” And he asked himself: “Decide: what am I to blame for? Where was the contract completed or not completed? I can’t be blamed for both!’
However, Mr. Karamanlis also responded to the accusation of the opposition that the government has allegedly invented some theory of human error, saying that “the General Traffic Regulation was violated seven times”. Mr. Karamanlis said that “do you think that I would not give everything for these 57 people to still live? But you can’t accuse me of a cover-up when I resigned immediately and one reason was to leave no shadow on the investigation of the tragic accident. I took the political responsibility which is objective by definition,” said the former Minister of Infrastructure and Transport.
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