Siemens must face the music
Inaction has it limits and, after a certain point, the only remedy is persistence. The demand of Greek citizens for the government to account for every last cent that came from Siemens, not for commissions but for payoffs, is a persistent one. We already have admissions from certain executives but also from the company itself. And we also have the precedent of several other countries that are either investigating such charges or have already moved to impose stiff fines. There is no way that the Greek state can afford to stand back in awe of Siemens, or of any other major company for that matter, nor can it wait for years before taking steps against it. Public sentiment demands that the Greek state deal with Siemens and deal with it right now. If it fails to do so, then it will be seen as acknowledgement that it accepts having a company operating on Greek territory which, based on Siemens’s own admission, systematically pays off its officials. From that point on, each person is free to draw his or her own conclusions.
