Judiciary told graft probe has to be quick
A request for the judiciary to decide quickly whether to charge about 30 politicians investigated by the Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE) with corruption was issued by the government Friday after a list containing the names of the suspects was made public.
Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said it is important that the Supreme Court, which is now looking into the matter, makes swift decisions on which politicians should be tried for making illegal gains and which have been unjustly accused of graft.
?The justice system also has to decide who leaked the investigation documents and how,? said Kedikoglou. ?The Greek people are expecting to see that institutions work and laws are applied.?
Supreme Court prosecutor Yiannis Tentes Friday ordered prosecutors to investigate how the list was leaked. The list, which includes the name of 11 former ministers, 10 former deputy ministers and 12 former or current MPs, was published online on Thursday night, prompting a number of the politicians implicated to voice their anger.
These included Independent Greeks leader Panos Kammenos, former Education Minister Aris Spiliotopoulos, ex-Athens Mayor and current New Democracy MP Nikitas Kaklamanis, former Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos and the ex-president of Synaspismos Left Coalition, Nikos Konstantopoulos.
Parliament Speaker Evangelos Meimarakis, former Public Order Minister Giorgos Voulgarakis and ex-Transport Minister Michalis Liapis had been identified by an earlier newspaper report.
Sources said there is concern within the government that the publication of the list and a protracted investigation into SDOE?s findings could create a greater sense of political instability.
