The government representative Pavlos Marinakis, invited today (20.03.2024) to the program “Morning Greece”, was asked about the request of the relatives of the victims of Tempe that the law on the responsibility of ministers should not apply so that they can be brought – if accusations are made against ministers, before the natural judge.
As he said, “The first change in the law was made during the Mitsotakis Government in the previous Parliament and the ministers were assimilated to the citizens in everything and if it is decided on this matter, any minister from the Mitsotakis Government onwards, so not Mr. Spirtzis, this matters. will be brought to justice.”
“It’s one thing to stand by the victims’ relatives and help bring justice, and it’s another thing to be everywhere with them as leech and try to get petty political benefits”.
He went on to accuse SYRIZA of “Polakis, Kammenos, Gerovasili and a total of 11 cases were hidden behind Article 86 of the Constitution and were not tried. We do not instrumentalize the law on the responsibility of ministers as they like. When you’ve tooled him 11 times, it’s ridiculous to point the finger…”.
To the reports of the Government covering up facts and responsibilities for the train accident in Tempi, Pavlos Marinakis replied “What cover up? Justice investigates and investigates everyone, zero excepted. In all cases, the indictments and requests to the Parliament are made by the Justice. The parties neither in their findings (what they submitted) nor in their announcements have formulated a series of accusations, so that the Government will come to answer and reject them and then we can say about a cover-up. There are also pained people who hear the word cover-up and unfortunately get angry.”
He continued by saying “What are they saying? That a minister who rushed a contract that was 20% ready should go on trial? E.g. those who did not complete the National Highway of Patras – Pyrgos and made divisions, should they be accused by relatives of traffic victims or should the minister who had not perfected 112 when the fire in Mati take place be accused of this? There is no procedure that the Government covered up anything.”
“We are not confronting any human being who experiences human suffering. But there is no indication of a cover-up by anyone in the accident. The times I am hearing, given the seriousness of the case and the large number of people involved, as there are many victims and correspondingly their relatives, are unprecedented times for justice. There were other relatives and other grieving mothers who cried out or mourned silently, whose cases were tried five years later,” said Mr. Marinakis.
Continuing to fire shots at the opposition, the government spokesman said that “tthe Tempe crash is judged by Justice and not by the polls or the presenters. Justice will tell who is to blame. The vulgar fake news that “there was a riot” at the scene of the accident is circulated as a fact. There is no such thing in the case file. Necessary work was done after decisions of official agents to enable the carriages to be raised, in case people could be found alive three days after the accident.’
As he added, “Has prosecution been brought against Mr. Agorastos because there was a cover-up of facts and collusion? No. He is not being prosecuted because he ordered the area to be bombarded, I don’t know if his prosecution has to do with the companies that were used or something else. In addition to the fact that no order was given from above, the decision was made to collect dead or find people alive, as the cranes had to “stop”. Those who decide are senior judges, neither politicians nor journalists.”
Regarding the today’s debate in Parliament of the ND’s conclusion after the Commission of Inquiry on Tempi, Mr. Marinakis stated that “not all parties treated the Commission of Inquiry in the same way. The governing majority of the ND made a conclusion of 600 pages, with facts and figures. The official opposition made a 70-page opinion, without formulating specific accusations. All these conspiracy theories and accusations were not formulated with a specific indictment in the opinion of the official opposition”.
“The Government gave the opportunity to the opposition to set up a Commission of Inquiry, because otherwise it could not be done. The Government has changed the provision for the deadline that applies to the statute of limitations for offenses against ministers and thus indicatively, Mr. Karamanlis can be tried if something comes against him. Truth will shine through Justice. Within the 1.3 million, are the signatures of people who have voted for all parties. Among the demands of the citizens is the article on the responsibility of the ministers, which, however, is not revised by every Parliament, the Parliament must be revisionist”, he said.
“The European Public Prosecutor is under scrutiny”
The government representative shot his arrows at her as well European Prosecutor, saying that “there is a stunt by the European Prosecutor, saying irrelevant things between them. Justice does not obstruct any investigation. The European Prosecutor says “change your Constitution and change your laws”. In which country does this take place? To change the Constitution and laws because a European Prosecutor said so? Is there no lifting of the immunity of MPs, MEPs and EU Commissioners? Aren’t there similar procedures everywhere?”
He then stated that “as a government representative, I respond with reality and what is happening in Greece and Europe. Everyone who holds positions is judged… It is a matter of someone coming to a tragic case and pointing the finger at a country, taking advantage of people’s pain. It’s very easy to point the finger and say “everyone in jail”. We are talking about opposition that does not care about the rule of law when we have a para-ministry of justice in Maximos, they don’t talk about other tragedies or try to cut funds for Greece. I’m talking about those who, next to a sick mother, are trying to make a career.”
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