NEWS

Arrested ex-minister not a ND member, says party

New Democracy on Wednesday defended its failure to publicly criticize its former MP and minister, Michalis Liapis, for driving a car with fake license plates and no insurance by saying that he was no longer a member of the conservative party.

“I hope that he has an adequate explanation,” New Democracy secretary Manos Kefaloyiannis said in an interview with VIMA FM, while adding that Liapis, a former transport and culture minister, was no longer a party member.

“However, it is something that saddens and hurts us,” he added of the incident involving Liapis, who is due to stand trial on Thursday.

It also emerged on Wednesday that in the wake of Liapis’s arrest, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras asked Justice Minister Haralambos Athanasiou to draw up legislation that would halt current and retired MPs’ privileges if they are found guilty of offenses that are deemed particularly insulting toward society.

No further details were made available.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.