By his decision the Mayor of Piraeus Yiannis Moralisyesterday asked the Piraeus Police Department to seal his structure OKANA on Aitoliko in the 5th Municipal Community, as it did not meet the necessary operating conditions.

Mr. Moralis attended the point where the residents of the area mobilized yesterday, for the operation of OKANA on Aitoliko.

The mobilization was attended by the Deputy Regional Governor of Piraeus Stavroula Antonakou, the candidate Mayors of Piraeus Giorgos Gavrilis and Nikos Ambatielos, the Deputy Mayors Dimitris Karydis, Panagiotis Reppas, Kyriaki Bourdakou, Grigoris Kapsokolis, Antonia Karakatsani, the Authorized Municipal Councilor Tasos Markarian, the President of the Municipal Radio Piraeus Alexandros Tzeferakos, the head of the combination “People’s Rally Piraeus” Diamanto Manolakou, the Municipal Councilors Dimitris Gerles, Grigoris Moforis, the President of the 5th Municipal Community Leonidas Melas and Community Councilors of the 5th Municipal Community.

The Mayor of Piraeus, Yiannis Moralis, addressing the residents, noted:

“OKANA operates in Piraeus, with three serious misdemeanors: First, there was absolutely no information to the municipal authority, the district, the city’s deputies, the residents about what was being planned. Secondly, he does not have a license, despite the fact that OKANA claims that a special regime does not require a license from anyone, neither from the Ministry of Health nor from the Municipality of Piraeus, while at the same time he does not have a fire protection license, as a file has not even been submitted to the Fire Department. And thirdly, the most serious for everyone, is that while OKANA’s tender set three valid conditions, i.e. not being close to a school unit, not being close to a shopping center and being close to a “square”, none of them apply at all condition! It is right next to a school, Aitolikou is the most commercial street of the 5th Municipal Community and there has never been a “square”.

I signed the sealing order and have already sent it to the Chief of Police. The OKANA representative who was here told us that it will only be closed by decision of the competent Minister of Health. So we’ll get there. It is important that it is not open on Monday when schools start and I want to believe that the Aitoliko structure will not reopen.

At the Regional Council meeting we all made it clear that what is happening in the structure of OKANA in Piraeus is wrong. A structure cannot operate illegally and cannot be imposed on our city if it is not accepted by the local community. Those who know me know that I am not a confrontational person and I do not wish for tensions, however we are dealing with obvious violations.

Since November, I have taken action on the issue, I have contacted all the co-competent bodies, the President of OKANA, the Minister and the Deputy Minister of Health, the MPs, I have also spoken to the administrative authority of the Region. We’re all in this fight together and we’re not going to let it go.”