“Ms. Kovesi’s stance seemed biased to me,” stated New Democracy MP Sofia Voultepsi, speaking on Parapolitika 90.1 radio show “Opposite Microphones” with journalists Sotiris Xenakis and Vasilis Skouris, noting that she wrongly interfered in the country’s internal affairs.
“She comes and says abolish Article 86, and she doesn’t just do that – she intervenes in a case that is under parliamentary investigation and issues a decision – regarding OPEKEPE – while knowing very well that in all countries the competent authorities are being accused,” she noted at another point.
Excerpts from Sofia Voultepsi’s interview on Parapolitika 90.1
Regarding her article on European Prosecutor Kovesi:
S.VOULTEPSI: What I want to protect is a supreme good, which is the separation of powers. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office started operating on June 1, 2021. During this entire period, while it has 2,666 active cases – very important ones – and while it has another 1,504 that it opened after 2024, with serious evidence for all countries – for example, if Greece has 84 cases, Italy has 784 – it chooses Greece. It’s the only country where she gives press conferences, unlike OLAF which preceded it.
S.VOULTEPSI: She comes and says abolish Article 86, and she doesn’t just do that – she intervenes in a case under parliamentary investigation and issues a decision – regarding OPEKEPE – while knowing very well that in all countries the competent authorities are being accused.
JOURNALIST: If this intervention hadn’t happened, would we have had the developments we’re seeing?
S.VOULTEPSI: Of course we would have. Decisions regarding OPEKEPE had been issued before the European Public Prosecutor’s Office case began. The European prosecutor’s office relies on complaints from national authorities, and most of its complaints come from national authorities, private complaints, and ex officio complaints.
Asked if she believes Ms. Kovesi was wrong to intervene:
S.VOULTEPSI: She was wrong to intervene. When you come and tell me to change an article in your Constitution, which you don’t say for your own country or any other country. The Venice Commission says that immunities strengthen the separation of powers, otherwise we’ll have a state of judges and no one will sign anything. The UN has immunities and defends them, but says they must be limited to the minimum necessary to continue existing, so there might need to be a change, yes, but you won’t tell me…
S.VOULTEPSI: I defend the separation of powers. I believe that you, as justice, cannot officially demand a law change, and I said she cannot give a press conference when she hasn’t done so anywhere since ’21, and issue a decision on OPEKEPE while it hasn’t yet been judged by Justice and the parliamentary committee.
Asked if she believes Ms. Kovesi also functions as a political figure aiming to harm the government:
S.VOULTEPSI: No, her decisions, the way she spoke – OPEKEPE the acronym…
JOURNALIST: So you’re saying she’s biased
S.VOULTEPSI: Draw your own conclusions. She comes and gives an interview in Piraeus at customs for a great success that belongs to AADE, OLAF, the Greek Police… Her stance seemed biased to me because if she wanted to, she should have gone to the port of Constanta and said why haven’t you brought me a complaint. She should have gone to Palermo where there are great successes against the mafia and said “we are here, the struggle of the two judges murdered by the mafia was not in vain.”
