Ex-minister slams accusers in Novartis probe
Former alternate justice minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos, who is accused of politically motivated interference in the investigation of the alleged scandal involving Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis and several Greek politicians, insists that his accusers will end up looking like “fools.”
In an interview with Kathimerini, Papangelopoulos said that the parliamentary probe into the previous government's handling of the case has found nothing incriminating against him and denounced the process as a “frame-up.”
He also said that the testimony of four judicial officials was driven by “revenge” because he refused to grant them personal favors.
“The preliminary investigative committee has so far come up with nothing that is to my detriment,” Papangelopoulos said.
Regarding the four judicial officials, he claimed that Supreme Court deputy prosecutor Ioannis Angelis had hoped to become a prosecutor at the top court, while former Appeals Court prosecutor Georgia Tsatani wanted to be promoted to Supreme Court deputy prosecutor.
Moreover, he said that former corruption prosecutor Eleni Raikou and former financial crimes prosecutor Panayiotis Athanasiou desired to remain in their respective posts for a full six-year term.
“Everybody wanted something from me. They didn’t get it and now they want revenge. I never asked them for anything,” he said.
