Opposition MP sues health minister over KEELPNO appointments
New Democracy MP Adonis Georgiadis and the party’s shadow justice minister, Costas Tzavaras, have filed suit against Alternate Health Minister Pavlos Polakis for allegedly appointing medical staff to the Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) without following the proper procedures.
The lawsuit comes after former KEELPNO chief Thanasis Giannopoulos claimed late last month that Polakis drew up the list of appointees himself rather than relying on the official process.
Polakis had earlier removed Giannopoulos and others from their posts for blocking his “legitimate appointments,” prompting a lawsuit threat from the former KEELPNO chief.
“This is a serious felony punishable with a prison sentence of more than 20 years,” Georgiadis said and accused Polakis of tampering with the list of appointees, containing sensitive personal data, “without having legal authorization to do so.”
Polakis has dismissed the accusations, insisting that the appointments were made according to the process set out by the Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection (ASEP).
The minister said last month that he had found irregularities in the list of doctors that took the entry examination and drew a new list of appointees which, however, were rejected by KEELPNO’s board.
