November is expected to be a “hot” month for the parliamentary investigative committee examining OPEKEPE as political figures who were at the helm of the Ministry of Rural Development will appear before it, while the opposition is intensively demanding the expansion of the witness list. In this week’s two sessions (Wednesday – Thursday), representatives from Gaia Enterprises, Neuropublic, as well as Sol’s chartered accountants will pass through the entrance of Parliament’s room 223.
At the same time, the testimony of George Stratakos, who has resigned from his position as general secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development, remains pending. Mr. Stratakos, who is one of the main figures in the legal connections recorded in the case file transmitted to Parliament, was scheduled to testify last Thursday, but the lengthy testimony of Paraskevi Tycheropoulou did not allow it. Therefore, Mr. Stratakos will appear before the investigative committee on Monday, November 3rd.
Former ministers Lefteris Avgenakis and Makis Voridis will follow, while at a later stage, current Parliament vice-president George Georgantas will cross the threshold of room 223, as well as current Minister of Rural Development Kostas Tsiaras.
Once the witness cycle is completed, the investigative committee will be called upon to decide whether the witness list should be expanded. The opposition has already raised this specific issue, demanding that “Hasapis,” “Frapes,” Popi Semertzidou, and Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister George Mylonakis be called, although the latter has stated he is at the committee’s disposal to testify.
All of the above is happening while information suggests that in the first ten days – if not the first week – of November, a new case file regarding OPEKEPE will be transmitted to Parliament, which includes at least eight political figures. The government is sitting on “hot coals” while the opposition awaits its contents to adjust their next steps. However, it is considered certain that opposition parties will request the establishment of a preliminary investigation committee, although only PASOK has the required signatures, while other parties will need to cooperate to submit such a request.
