Hardalias refutes claims that civil protection staff threw party
Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias has refuted claims that staff of the General Secretariat of Civil Protection (GGPP) attended a “Tsiknopempti” party, a traditional meat-eating gathering 11 days before the beginning of Easter lent for Greek Orthodoxy, on March 4, ignoring a ban in gatherings.
“There is only one truth. There was no involvement or participation by employees or staff of the GGPP in this gathering” Hardalias said, describing the reports as “baseless accusations.”
He said that the illegal gathering was held in an area of the HELEXPO exhibition center in northern Athens which has been leased to different authority and not the GGPP. The HELEXPO venue is housing a vaccination mega-center codenamed Prometheus.
The Greek government is maintaining a strict lockdown in Attica until March 16 as cases in the capital continue to put strain on the regions healthcare system.
