New Democracy sources speak of a complete collapse of the opposition’s “narrative” regarding interventions or favorable treatment, commenting on the ongoing testimony of former general secretary of the Ministry of Agricultural Development Giorgos Stratakos to the parliamentary investigative committee on the OPEKEPE scandal.
ND sources: Opposition narrative on OPEKEPE collapses
“The opposition’s narrative regarding alleged ‘interventions’ or ‘favorable treatment’ is completely collapsed by the former general secretary of the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food, Giorgos Stratakos. As he clarified, on one hand Mr. Xylouris received no special treatment – the evidence proves it, while he also clarified that in his office he has received everyone – including opposition MPs – without any party bias. ‘I have received everyone in my office, without any party bias. My door and my phone were always open. There was no person who didn’t come to my office and whom I didn’t see for five minutes,’ he said characteristically, reminding that Mr. Xylouris ‘had an institutional role in three different organizations’ and that ‘all dialogues were about managing a person who felt wronged and the goal was to defuse the situation,'” the “blue” sources emphasize.
According to ND sources, “in other words, Mr. Stratakos, despite what the opposition attributes to him, was operating within the framework of his duties, something that is evident from the fact that the tax registration numbers – including Mr. Xylouris’s – were not released when he requested it. ‘I didn’t go to any Minister to raise Mr. Xylouris’s issue,’ he noted characteristically. It should be reminded that Mr. Stratakos as general secretary did not have the institutional competence over OPEKEPE.”
“Indeed, when asked about the number of animals, he pointed out – confirming New Democracy’s position – that the number of livestock is not determined by OPEKEPE, but by local veterinary services of the Regions, which are exclusively responsible for certifying and updating livestock farmers’ data. As he characteristically mentioned, ‘from 2015 onwards, the increase in animals is done through the regions, which consider the number declared by the producer as given.’ This process, he added, takes the form of a statutory declaration by the livestock farmer himself, based on data that regional services check and validate. Mr. Stratakos also emphasized that OPEKEPE has exclusively the competence for pasture allocation and no involvement or possibility of intervention in livestock data,” the “blue” sources conclude.
