By Yannis Anifantis

The Plenary of the Parliament decided to lift the parliamentary immunity of Pavlos Polakis with 224 votes in favor, 46 against, and 2 present. There had been a fierce conflict in the Plenary Session of the Parliament between Adonis Georgiadis and Pavlos Polakis during the discussion of the lifting of the immunity of the SYRIZA MP following the defamation lawsuit filed against him by the Minister.

The content of the lawsuit is the public statements of the Chaniot MP who turns against the Minister, blaming the financing in the Novartis case, even though the Court has filed the case.

“All the authorities have told society that Mr. Georgiadis is innocent. He said I don’t get anything back. What else should I do? Should I go to the Pope of Rome? Should I go to the President of America? When a political opponent has been acquitted, you cannot continue to smear him,” said Adonis Georgiadis from the majority seats, while turning to the SYRIZA MPs, he argued: “Tell me, you who will vote no to the removal, what else should I do? Is there anything else I can do to stop him slandering me? What’s your counter to saying no? Are you not in favor of human rights Ms. Akrita? I’m not human, what am I an animal? What are you telling me? Shouldn’t his immunity be lifted? To be slandered every day and I can’t do anything?”

“With great respect for our collegial relationship, I want to beg you not to let your internal parties influence you because he is a candidate for president, but respecting your institutional role to allow Mr. Polakis to be tried and if the court vindicates him, his majesty and his joy . However, I do not consider it very likely, Mr. President. If at the end of the meeting he says sorry and retracts, I will withdraw the lawsuit because for me the lawsuit is the last resort.” He added addressing the main opposition MPs.

Referring to the complaints of Mr. Polakis, he underlined: “In these 4 years, my accounts, those of my companies, were audited. Ms. Touloupaki called the clients one by one into her office. They took depositions and after 3 years Touloupaki found nothing and that’s why she didn’t even call me for an explanation. Mr. Polakis does not have much expertise with our judicial system. He says it’s not an acquittal it’s a filing. Now the jurists in the room are logically laughing, filing is superior to acquittal. In order to be acquitted, there must have been a trial. In other words, there should be a category. An investigation was carried out and no subtle indications of money laundering were found.”

“Mr. Georgiadis is suing me for slandering and defaming him because I call him an oil dealer, unspecified and that he got them from Novartis. He is doing it on the ground of his filing in November 2022 with the sense of omnipotence that the ND thinks it has, believing that they can drown out any voice that brings out what they did as a government with the 15-20 billion in direct assignments and for the way the Recovery Fund is being wasted. I’ll try to be cool. I don’t take a word back. Neither an oil dealer, nor unclear, nor that he got them from Novartis, and I hope for a trial.” Pavlos Polakis pointed out at the beginning of his presentation.

“What I said from 2016 I was absolutely right. Some even then had to listen to me and they didn’t. I do not ask for any apology from anyone who squandered public money and I promise the Greek people that until the end I will continue to fight to build a fair Greece. I will be in court,” added the SYRIZA MP.