MPs question whether ELSTAT chief should stay
Parliament’s institutions committee raised doubts on Tuesday about whether Andreas Georgiou should continue in his role as head of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) after he criticized a recent judicial decision to launch a new probe into whether he inflated Greece’s 2009 public deficit figure.
The committee said it is “troubled” by the fact that Georgiou remains in charge of ELSTAT even though he faces criminal charges.
The MPs also voiced their disapproval of Georgiou’s decision to criticize the judiciary.
Georgiou said the Council of Appeals Court decision sent a “clear message that anyone who dares to enforce European regulations… will be dragged to court under the constant threat of having his personal freedom denied or facing unbearable financial consequences.”
Georgiou argued that a new probe into his actions would serve to cover up the possible responsibilities of political and public figures for Greece’s fiscal derailment in 2009.
