By Penelope Galliou

Sixty-nine days before the European elections and the domestic political scene is still troubled by the case of Tempe, with the government engaged in a two-front fight against both SYRIZA and PASOK, whom it accuses of instrumentalizing the tragic accident and petty political expediencies. This position, as commented by government sources, was strengthened by the new moves, both by Stefanos Kasselakis to send the infamous text – an indictment against Kostas Karamanlis to the secretary of the ND’s KO, Stavros Kalafatis, bypassing the institutional parliamentary procedures for the first time, and on the other hand Nikos Androulakis who went to the Areio Pagos insisting on editing the talks of the OSE on the fateful night and asking for further investigation.

Koumoundourou’s new move was considered by many government officials to be “institutionally incomprehensible” and with a vague targeting beyond the standard slanderous tactic that is also followed in the Tempi case, as – as it was estimated – if SYRIZA and its president wanted to proceed with their initiative , the procedures are institutionally specific and cannot be misinterpreted. Consequently, government sources invited to comment on the developments accused Stefanos Kasselakis of trying to turn a tragic event into a “communication firework”. As they specifically stated: “According to the Constitution of Greece, anyone who considers that there are indications of guilt for an act or omission by political persons, has the possibility to draw up an indictment, which will also contain a proposal for the establishment of a preliminary examination and after gathering the required number signatures, to bring it to the Plenary of the Parliament, according to the prescribed procedure”.

Already, however, and with the rumored initiative of SYRIZA alone, the government representative had outlined the position that Megaro Maximos will take regarding the indictment against Kostas Karamanlis, stating that the government expected to see it “deposited and signed” and he recalled the institutional character and the “specifications” that – according to Mr. Marinakis – Koumoundourou should adhere to. “We cannot, as you understand, respond to an indictment that has been announced to be filed. It is a job that must have a documented reading of everything that is filed and, of course, it is understood then that we will do the right thing,” he said to the political editors.

Almost in parallel with the Koumoundourou proceedings that resulted in the discrediting of the Maximos Palace, Nikos Androulakis also “received” a corresponding reaction for his own initiative to address the Areopagus regarding the talks of the OSE on the fateful night of the Tempe accident and about “editing” which the government categorically rejects as the prime minister himself already did from the floor of the Parliament, during the discussion of the motion of no confidence.

As for that part of the talks, government sources focused on an issue that has plagued many cases and has to do with the leaking of evidence from cases before they even proceed to judicial investigation. The same sources estimated that in the case of the OSE talks, the only issue that remains to be investigated by the judiciary is precisely the issue of the leak. The government representative emphatically reiterated that “any serious argument about editing, about any attempt to mislead public opinion, after what we have said and above all after the speech of the Prime Minister, has been dismissed”.

Mr. Marinakis also noted that as is the case in any case where information is badly leaked, the corresponding answers must be given mainly by the Judiciary, but he noted that “this does not mean that political parties should turn into judges and investigators to create impressions. It’s not our job to make decisions or make accusations,” he said and added: “Our job is to ask the Judiciary – as it does – to “run” all the investigations and give answers. To examine the witnesses which must, collect the documents required, so that, at the end of the day, the citizens receive answers. This is how we understand our role. Obviously, it is Mr. Androulakis’ right to take whatever action he sees fit. We want it to be spilled light on all aspects of the case, but, I think, it has now become clear, clear, that there is no even a case, there was any purpose, any malice, to falsify evidence” concluded the government representative.