Tsoukalas to Georgiadis on OPKEPEPE: You Pressured the European Prosecutor's Office and Threatened, and You Failed Miserably

A heated exchange has occurred between Kostas Tsoukalas, the press spokesperson for PASOK-KINAL, and Greek Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis, concerning the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). The dispute arose during a television appearance on Action24's "Proini Zoni" program.

“

Your government created a scandal with two administrators of OPKEPEPE, two regional directors, two directors of direct investments, and four members of parliament being referred.

Tsoukalas directly accused Georgiadis and the current New Democracy government of orchestrating a scandal involving two OPKEPEPE administrators, two regional directors, two direct investment directors, and four members of parliament who are facing referral. He urged Georgiadis and the government to apologize to PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis, asserting that they, not Androulakis, were the ones embarrassing the country.

“

You were saying that he was embarrassing the country, while you are the ones embarrassing the country.

In a strong tone, Tsoukalas criticized the government's response to the referrals, likening it to a desperate attempt to deflect blame. He specifically addressed Georgiadis, recalling the minister's claims that the renewal of the terms of Greek European Prosecutors was invalid. Tsoukalas stated that Georgiadis and the government had exerted significant pressure and made threats to prevent the renewal, but their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, using the Greek idiom "πήγατε κουβά" (you failed miserably).

“

You are the only government that throws flares because its officials are being referred to justice, with a logic of 'where they owed us, they also took our ox'.

Tsoukalas sarcastically questioned whether the government expected applause for the situation, adding that perhaps next time they would be proud if only four officials were referred. He concluded by mentioning that a central figure in New Democracy's Heraklion branch, Mr. Chilezakis, is under investigation for ten million euros and has not yet been expelled from the party, further criticizing the government's handling of alleged misconduct within its ranks.

“

You said, Mr. Minister, that the renewal of the terms of the Greek European Prosecutors was invalid. You gave your all to prevent it from being renewed, you pressured the European Public Prosecutor's Office and threatened, and you failed miserably, just like everything else you have said so far.