“I resigned because I’m not glued to my chair and I don’t accept such accusations,” declared New Democracy MP and former minister Makis Voridis, speaking on Parapolitika 90.1 radio show “She and I” with journalist Stella Gantona, when asked why he resigned while maintaining his innocence regarding the OPEKEPE case.
“I have no objection to someone coming to tell me ‘well done Mr. Voridis, you did well on 5 things, on 2 you didn’t do well‘ – this is called political criticism. I never refused it and we’ll sit down to discuss what I did and didn’t do. However, it’s one thing to accept criticism and another to be told that because I agreed to implement a completely legal ministerial decision I’m committing a felony, and because I asked a subordinate to resign I’m committing a felony. Excuse me, but this doesn’t hold up!” Voridis stated.
“These two specific proposals made me subject to investigation. I had an obligation to both fellow MPs – those proposing and those opposing the proposal – to provide explanations. That’s what I did!” the MP clarified.
Elsewhere, the former minister said: “The surge in applications and increase in livestock capital declared through OSDE declarations occurred in May 2019, so it happened under SYRIZA. Elections were held and I became Minister of Agricultural Development. I asked Mr. Kaprelis, OPEKEPE president at the time, appointed under SYRIZA, to stay to help make payments so there would be no disruption.”
Meanwhile, when asked about the codenames “Butcher” and “Frappe“, the New Democracy MP emphasized that in 2023 and 2024 he had not met with either of them.
Excerpts from Makis Voridis’ interview on Parapolitika 90.1:
Asked to respond to Mr. Androulakis’ statements about yesterday’s parliamentary vote
VORIDIS: Yesterday’s parliamentary decision is legal. Article 86 states that to establish a preliminary committee to examine potential criminal offenses, a decision must be taken with 151 votes – meaning it sets the majority threshold for approving this preliminary committee’s establishment. This means if you don’t get 151 votes, the proposal isn’t approved. The issue of parliamentary quorum is different. Parliament is in session and meets legally with 75 MPs, so Parliament was in quorum, a vote was conducted, the proposals didn’t receive the required 151 votes, which means the proposals are rejected. What Mr. Androulakis says has no legal basis, no constitutional basis. Political criticism is another discussion entirely. I cannot, especially since I was in the position I was in until yesterday, comment on MPs’ decisions about how they should stand against this, why the opposition left, why MP A or B acted this way.
VORIDIS: These two specific proposals made me subject to investigation. I had an obligation to fellow MPs, both those proposing and those opposing the proposal, to provide explanations. That’s what I did! From there on, the body must decide how each MP will act according to their conscience.
VORIDIS: I have no objection to someone coming to tell me “well done Mr. Voridis, you did well on 5 things, on 2 you didn’t do well” – this is called political criticism. I never refused it and we’ll discuss what I did and didn’t do. However, it’s one thing to accept criticism and another to be told that because I agreed to implement a completely legal ministerial decision I’m committing a felony, and because I asked a subordinate to resign I’m committing a felony. Excuse me, but this doesn’t hold up!
VORIDIS: There’s deliberate confusion here between what constitutes political criticism…
VORIDIS: The surge in applications and increase in livestock capital declared through OSDE declarations occurred in May 2019, so it happened under SYRIZA. Elections were held and I became Minister of Agricultural Development. I asked Mr. Kaprelis, OPEKEPE president at the time, appointed under SYRIZA, to stay to help make payments so there wouldn’t be disruption. Mr. Kaprelis graciously agreed – I should mention these people had resigned, they came to me and said “the government changed, we were appointed by the previous government, we should leave so you can appoint who you think best.” Very graciously, because they had tenure and could have refused, they did it anyway. I asked them to stay and they brought this proposal. You’re a minister and the service comes with a proposal implementing the ministerial decision. You say “livestock capital appears to have increased excessively, what should be done?” Your options are: implement the technical solution and approve it, or don’t implement the technical solution. Mr. Androulakis doesn’t answer me on this.
Asked why he resigned while maintaining his innocence
VORIDIS: I don’t accept any accusations from anyone. I won’t sit there as minister with the official opposition telling me “resign” while I say I won’t resign. This doesn’t work! I’m not glued to any chair!
