The former minister is referred to trial for breach of duty with his accomplice Christos Kalogritsas. When will the Special Court be set up?
By Ioanna Mandrou
The referral of former Minister Nikos Pappas to the Special Court for his handling of him competition for television licenses, decided by the Judicial Council, fully adopting its proposal Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court Georgia Adelini.
The former minister is referred to be tried before the Special Court that will be set up – according to the constitution – by supreme judges from the Supreme Court and the Council of State for breach of duty, category provided for and punished to a degree of misdemeanor.
Together with Nikos Pappas, he is also referred to trial businessman-contractor Christos Kalogritsas, who had participated in the competition for television licenses at the urging of the former minister, in order, as he has complained, the then SYRIZA-ANEL government to acquire a channel of its own influence.
The referral committee for Nikos Pappas and Christos Kalogritsa, who referred as an accomplice of the former minister bears the number 4 of 20022.
Fully endorses the prosecutor’s proposal and the prosecutor’s arguments regarding the criminal liability of both for organizing and manipulating the competition for television licenses, which had provoked fierce political controversy, strong reactions, while the relevant law was finally annulled by the Plenary Session of the Council of State.
The case has been brought to justice, in implementation of the law on the responsibility of ministers, when after Kalogritsa complaints about a “rigged” competition for the television licenses, a pre-investigation committee was set up in the Parliament, which decided the investigation of the case by the Justice. The businessman Christos Kalogritsas complained to the Parliament, but also to the Justice, that in order to take part in the competition and to claim a television license, under the guidance of Nikos Pappas, received 3 million euros from a business giant to cover the guarantee required by law for one’s participation in the competition. “I knew I would be accused of what I revealed. “I did it to restore my name and reputation.” had been testified by Christos Kalogritsas.
The former minister, from the first moment he denies what has been attributed to him and has defended the legality of the licensing process of television stations while he has spoken about the instrumentalization of Justice.
Following the referral decision by the Judicial Council, the Parliament will draw the highest judges who will judge the case and the Special Court, the first for the SYRIZA-ANEL government, is expected to be formed at the beginning of the judicial year, next September.
