PASOK-Movement for Change (KINAL) leader Nikos Androulakis accused the prime minister and ruling New Democracy of an ‘institutional high-wire act’ after a meeting of a preliminary investigation committee in Parliament on Thursday to examine any possible responsibility of former deputy Christos Triantopoulos in the Tempi train collision.
The majority on the committee, 14 deputies of ruling New Democracy, voted to summon Triantopoulos to testify on Monday morning. With the exception of two parties, Plefsi Eleftherias and Spartiates whose proposal was voted down, the rest of the parties walked out without voting.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis “has elected an institutional high-wire act to extricate himself from his weak political position. Your responsibilities are clearly to prevent the preliminary investigation committee from functioning,” Androulakis said.
The main opposition party leader claimed that the government “promotes the idea it is leading Mr. Triantopoulos before the judicial council without the operation of a preliminary investigation committee out of ‘political magnanimity’ [….]. There is no courage, but obvious political weakness [….] because an investigation or cross-examination of Triantopoulos and Agorastos would lead to political damage and possibly new responsibilities for some.” Agorastos was Thessaly Region governor during the time of the Tempi accident.
Addressing the PM and ND party, Androulakis accused Mitsotakis of “targeting your political adversaries methodically and systematically. You do this without shame, with paid cronies you feed from the fat advertising funds of the public utilities companies you control. And you carry on by using justice as a tool.” He also warned him, “Do not dare shut down the preliminary investigation committee without bringing everything to light,” the latter of which Mitsotakis had promised to do.
The PASOK-KINAL leader welcomed the changes to the ministerial liability law, but underlined that at the same time Mitsotakis protected Kostas Karamanlis, former transport minister. “If you were as brave as you claim you are, you would have led him before the preliminary investigation committee, not given him a standing ovation. Now the same people come to lecture us on credibility and respect of institutions. It is truly unbelievable,” Androulakis said.
