For the developments surrounding the case Novartis and the removal of the witness protection status was spoken by the former prime minister, Panagiotis Pikrammenos on his radio and to Paul Tsima.

He said that after these events, he feels relieved for two reasons. “First, because this way the tangle will begin to unravel to see who are the real instigators of the case. Until yesterday the protected witnesses were on ordered duty, but others planned and instigated things. Second, the request can be denied, however there was evidence that the witnesses had received money from the US Government. So I’m waiting for further developments.”

When asked if he is considering criminal charges, Mr. Pikrammenos refused, pointing out that as a former judicial officer he does not consider this to be the most effective, underlining that:

“What I care about is that the witnesses feel moral, political and all kinds of pressure to talk about the real story. It is an event that has determined the politics of the last period of time.”

Finally, answering a related question, he noted that the Prosecutor’s decision does not undermine the institution of protected witnesses, as “they were false witnesses and not true witnesses of public interest, so it is not possible to protect an intrigue and conspiracy”, adding that it must be maintained the institution, which was also a European directive.