With the rapporteurs of the parties, the debate on the proposals of SYRIZA and PASOK for the formation of a preliminary investigation committee, which will investigate any criminal responsibilities of politicians for the tragedy in Tempi, began in the Plenary Session of the Parliament.

The ND rapporteur, Kostas Karagounis in the Plenary Session of the Parliament he proposed “the rejection of both proposals for the establishment of a Pre-Inquiry Committee”.

Mr. Karagounis stated that the ND “voted for the KKE’s proposal for the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry because we really want to see what are the causes that led us to the tragic accident in Tempi and in general to the disrepair of the railway. To examine all factors and all conditions and parameters as a whole and not piecemeal.” On the contrary, the ND rapporteur noted, with the two proposals for the establishment of Pre-Investigation Committees that you have submitted “you want the investigation to leave the actual scope of the examination and the overall dimension of the issue and be transferred to the sphere of the specialization of criminal responsibility of political figures for crimes of economic interest, especially in specific and fragmentary investigated periods of time”.

The ND MP, analyzing the rationale of the proposals, argued that “the indictment is flimsy, as it is easily and irrefutably clear from what is written in it that there is no question of a criminal investigation of a minister”. “Try to divert the investigation elsewhere and not to the real dimension that is imposed”, he stressed addressing SYRIZA and PASOK, pointing out: “We do not make accusations easily, we will look deeply into the case and you can be sure we will do it calmly and composedly to the Examining Committee”. As he argued, the proposals submitted by SYRIZA and PASOK “are a copy of each other”.

Our proposal aims to bring “everything to light” and to check all the persons involved in the implementation of the 717 contract, “from the beginning to the end”, he emphasized the rapporteur of the official opposition Theodora Tzakriplaced in the context of the discussion of the proposals of SYRIZA-PS and PASOK-Movement of Change, to set up a preliminary investigation committee for the case of the “717” contract (responsibility of ministers regarding the contract to upgrade the remote control system of the Athens-Thessaloniki-Promahona railway axis ).

As Mrs. Tzakri said, nine months after the crime of Tempe, the discrediting and abandonment of the most economical, ecological and popular means of transportation continues”, which is a “constant choice and strategy of the governments of the ND”. He even raised the question, how do we explain “that just yesterday a Patras suburban train derailed, as the network is made up of dilapidated lines, half-demolished stations and wooden rails: Five years was not really enough for you to maintain a line that moves so many lay people, students and workers?”

Referring to the SYRIZA-PS proposal for a pre-investigation committee, she said that it is based on the conclusion of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in which Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis of Achilleos is referred for examination for criminal infidelity, while the same document does not reveal anything specific about Minister Christos Spirtzis. “As far as the alleged responsibility of Minister Spirtzis is concerned, he has absolutely no authority to make a decision or approve the contract, as the supervisory authority of contract 717, according to the declaration, is the Board of Directors of ERGOSE, and not the minister” he said Mrs. Tzarki and added: “However, in the context of the universal investigation of all aspects of the case [..] we request a preliminary criminal investigation for the crime of dereliction of duty and for Christos Spirtzis, just as he himself requested it”.

“From the documents of the European prosecutor and the criminal case file forwarded to the Parliament against the former Ministers of Transport, Christos Spirtzis and Kostas Karamanlis, there are sufficient indications that criminal acts were committed. The former minister Mr. Spirtzis allegedly committed the crime of dereliction of duty, the former minister Mr. Karamanlis allegedly committed the crime of disloyalty at the expense of the financial interests of the EU and the Greek state,” he underlined the general rapporteur of PASOK, Evangelia Liakoulis.

Defending PASOK’s proposal for the establishment of a Pre-Inquiry Committee in order to investigate any responsibilities of the former Ministers of Transport, Christos Spirtzis and Costas Karamanlis, Mrs. Liakoulis attacked the government fiercely, accusing it of a “Ludovician point of view” and an attempt to cover up responsibility for the heinous crime of Tempe.

“Since you have nuanced indications, since you have the heavy signature and stamp of the European prosecutor, why are you gnawing away at parliamentary time and declaring that you will vote in favor of the KKE’s proposal for a Commission of Inquiry to investigate any political responsibilities? There is no political or legal logic when you want to cover up, hide and cover up responsibilities”, emphasized Ms. Liakoulis.

Afterwards, Mrs. Liakoulis accused the government that “with its statements that it will vote against the proposal for a preliminary investigation because there are no criminal responsibilities, it interferes in a crude way with justice, [προκαταλαμβάνοντας] the result in a tragedy in which there are heinous crimes.’