Gov’t MPs on panel shield Kammenos from prosecution
Parliament’s Ethics Committee on Tuesday rejected – with a majority of seven to five – a request for Defense Minister Panos Kammenos to answer to slander accusations.
Kammenos, who is also head of right-wing Independent Greeks (ANEL), was accused by centrist To Potami chief Stavros Theodorakis of making slanderous comments on social media with regard to a November 6 debate between candidates for the leadership of the Movement for Change center-left coalition.
Thanks to the support of all ANEL and leftist SYRIZA MPs, the panel rejected the appeal, claiming that Kammenos made the comments in his capacity as a minister and is therefore has immunity against prosecution.
Commenting, Potami MP Giorgos Mavrotas said the committee’s message was this: “If you are a minister, and specifically Mr Kammenos, you can slander freely on social media in the knowledge that the parliamentary majority will bail you out.”
For action to be taken against Kammenos now, a minimum of 30 MPs must sign a proposal for the creation of an investigative committee.
