New Democracy MP Nikos Vlachakos, brother of Imia hero Panagiotis Vlachakos, speaks to parapolitika.gr about the events that unfolded during yesterday’s session of the OPEKEPE Investigative Committee, which led to a proposal for referring Zoe Konstantopoulou to the Ethics Committee for anti-parliamentary behavior.
Mr. Vlachakos outlines everything that happened and argues that it all began when Zoe Konstantopoulou, instead of addressing the Investigative Committee’s issues, made references to polls published yesterday, asking New Democracy MPs whether “will you find your vote through arrogance? You won’t find it.” He then replied that “he will find his vote.” Immediately after, as he tells parapolitika.gr, the leader of Course of Freedom responded: “We’ll see who will find it. You’d better focus on finding the truth about Imia, which I’ve suggested to you many times.”
The New Democracy MP then emphasizes that “in my intervention, I underlined that such statements do not align with the role and purpose of an Investigative Committee and that neither she nor anyone else knows what I know about the Imia incident.” Furthermore, he explains that Zoe Konstantopoulou’s reference “provoked a justified reaction. This is a paramount national issue, inextricably linked to the sacrifice of people who fell for their country and cannot under any circumstances be used as a tool for political confrontation. This particular statement constitutes a deep insult to my person, as it does not respect the memory of my brother, Panagiotis Vlachakos, nor the sacrifice of all the heroes.”
Nikos Vlachakos: This isn’t the first time I’ve been targeted this way
“Despite appeals to return the discussion to substance, she continued in the same manner, leading to a temporary suspension of the session,” Mr. Vlachakos adds and notes that “unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time I’ve been targeted this way. In the past, during my participation in the Investigative Committee for the Tempe tragedy, Mrs. Konstantopoulou made insulting claims, saying that ‘we have stained our hands with blood.'”
As Mr. Vlachakos explains further, “my stance remains consistent. I respect the institutions, honor the memory of the victims, and serve my parliamentary duty with ethics, without personal attacks and without instrumentalizing human pain.” “After this, the majority of the Investigative Committee decided to refer Mrs. Konstantopoulou to a Committee for unethical behavior, citing the way she spoke to all MPs and particularly to my person,” concludes the New Democracy MP and brother of Imia hero Panagiotis Vlachakos.
The incident in the Plenary on January 23, 2025
This is not the first time Mrs. Konstantopoulou has referenced Imia. A year ago, specifically on January 23, 2025, the leader of Course of Freedom had referred in Parliament, against the backdrop of the Tempe tragedy, to Nikos Karakousis, reminding that the coroner had said that Panagiotis Vlachakos “died from an accident.”
“Bring me the handkerchief? Aren’t you ashamed. Even in the face of death that you caused, you have no respect. These children are your victims. Your hands are stained with their blood, all of you,” the leader of Course of Freedom had emphasized regarding the Tempe tragedy, provoking Mr. Vlachakos’s reaction: “Shame on you! What are you saying? We have also buried people, but we didn’t act like this.”
“Coroner Karakousis, whom you defend, is the man who said that your brother at Imia died from an accident. This is who you’re putting forward now to do the dirty work,” she had responded, resulting in an angry reaction from New Democracy parliamentary group members. “His brother the hero! Shame on you! His brother the hero from an accident? He has his memorial service on Sunday!”, Dimitris Markopoulos shouted at her, while the presiding officer, Giannis Plakiotakis, tried to restore order to the chamber, asking Mrs. Konstantopoulou to complete her statement.
“I believe the helicopter was shot down”
Despite the reactions, the leader of Course of Freedom had insisted, saying that “I believe the helicopter at Imia was shot down and that your brother was not a victim of an accident. Karakousis, however, is the man who covered up your brother’s death. Look into it, get informed, think about it.” Immediately after, the then parliamentary spokesperson and current Minister of Migration and Asylum, Thanos Plevris, took the floor, launching fierce accusations against Mrs. Konstantopoulou.
“Until today I believed that Mrs. Konstantopoulou has sensitivity. Today I understood that she doesn’t care about Tempe. She is a political opportunist who only cares about political gain. We see her addressing the brother of the Imia hero and telling him that his brother died from an accident. Fortunately, there are videos,” he had argued. Despite the intense reactions, the leader of Course of Freedom had completed the discussion, emphasizing: “Whenever you want the Imia case investigated, I will be by your side. But know this: those you protect are the same ones who covered up your brother’s death.”
