Lessons from graft scandal
There are three main conclusions that can be drawn from the Siemens case. The first is that any political leader claiming ignorance of cases of corruption within government ranks, within ministries or within his party is, to put it simply, inadequate to serve in the post. Those who knew of the corruption, on the other hand, and chose to hush it up, abetted in a crime. The second conclusion is that the law on the liability of ministers is highly undemocratic and completely undermines the fundamental concept of equality before the law. It is inconceivable to Greek citizens how former ministers, as well as their «associates» from the private sector, can commit such serious crimes without having to suffer any consequences. The third and most obvious conclusion is that there is only one way for light to be shed on every aspect of the Siemens scandal: Investigators must closely follow the money trail. Investigators must insist on this course and gain access to all the bank accounts implicated in the affair. This is the only way to get the answers which the public is so anxiously awaiting.
