Main parties see Novartis’ US settlement as vindication
Ruling New Democracy (ND), main opposition SYRIZA and the socialist KINAL all saw the settlement of the bribery case brought by US authorities against Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis as a vindication of their position oN the scandal.
ND said that the conclusion of the case which did not include any evidence of political involvement “puts an end to the a long-running conspiracy” and closes on one part “a malodorous affair set up by SYRIZA.”
The party said ten politicians, including two former prime ministers, were “dragged through the mud” for years “without the slightest evidence being found against them” by investigations in either Greece of the US.
On its side, SYRIZA said the settlement is “a slap in the face” as it “smashes the propaganda” that there was a conspiracy in the Novartis case.
The party said Novartis Hellas admitted that “it corrupted officials to influence the decisions of the Greek government and health authorities” in the period 2012-2015, when ND’s former premier Antonis Samaras was in power.
Socialist KINAL said the out of court settlement and the announcements by US authorities that there was no involvement of politicians in the scandal are the “the death knell for SYRIZA’s conspiracy.”
