With sharp criticism about interventions and intimidation attempts against the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi during her press conference in Athens, called on anyone considering interfering with her office’s work in Greece to think twice, while simultaneously appealing for changes to Article 86 of the Constitution regarding the oversight of political figures. “Justice cannot be turned into a reality show,” the official emphasized and appealed to journalists not to conduct television interviews with witnesses in cases under investigation, so that prosecutors can work unimpeded and achieve results. After first characterizing the “Kalypso” case in Piraeus as the largest customs fraud in EU history, she then emphasized that “OPEKEPE has become synonymous with nepotism and clientelism.” She spoke of “superficial investigations” before the European Public Prosecutor’s Office took over, but pledged that “the time has come to clean house.” However, the bad news regarding the case, according to Laura Kövesi, is that her investigation could not reach the depth needed, just like in the case of the Tempe tragedy, due to Article 86, which requires that when political figures are implicated in cases, the file must be transferred to Parliament. The good news, according to Laura Kövesi, is that Parliament can continue the investigation. Nevertheless, she clarified that corruption is not exclusively a Greek phenomenon, however extensive corruption “can kill, as happened in the Tempe rail tragedy.”
Watch the live press conference HERE.
More details coming soon…
