Lawyer withdraws from investigation team into "Mafia State" report within 24 hours
Lawyer Christos Milonopoulos resigned from the independent committee of criminal investigators appointed by the Cabinet to examine a report from the Anti-Corruption Authority, before he could begin work.
Lawyer withdraws from investigation team into "Mafia State" report within 24 hours
Lawyer Christos Milonopoulos resigned from the independent committee of criminal investigators appointed by the Cabinet to examine a report from the Anti-Corruption Authority, before he could begin work. His resignation was submitted just one day after his appointment, following fierce backlash over a potential conflict of interest.
Milonopoulos had previously served as legal representative for Zolota in the Focus case, which is included in the disputed Anti-Corruption Authority document. This connection sparked outrage over whether he could act impartially.
Government spokesperson Konstantinos Letympiotes stated that the resignation was made for reasons of institutional sensitivity and to preserve public confidence in the handling of the case. According to him, this move was intended to protect the investigation from any suspicion of bias, allowing the inquiry to proceed with autonomy and impartiality.
The development, however, brings broader issues to the surface. The heads of the Legal Service—Savvidis and Angelidis—have faced intense criticism for years from a significant section of society because of their ties to the former President and the previous Government. Despite the pressure, they never felt obliged to resign.
The pair heading the Legal Service ultimately recused themselves from the case, implicitly acknowledging the existence of difficulties. Nevertheless, critical questions remain: Who determines the terms of reference for the investigators? Who directs the criminal examiners? Who will assess the report they produce? Who will decide on prosecution?
The matter of the Anti-Corruption Authority document has created cascading malfunctions in the Legal Service, which extend to the Office of the Prosecutor as well—and it too has had to recuse itself.
Source: Philenews
Source: Philenews