In response to statements made by former European Commissioner and MP Dimitris Avramopoulos regarding the QatarGate investigation—and specifically his claim that Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis kept a Belgian police request in his drawer for two to three days—sources from the Ministry of Citizen Protection have issued a formal clarification.
The European Arrest Warrant issued by Belgian authorities against Avramopoulos, as part of the ongoing QatarGate probe, was formally transmitted to the Hellenic Parliament on Tuesday. The warrant has not yet been executed, as its implementation requires the lifting of Avramopoulos’s parliamentary immunity—a prerequisite under Greek law for any such measure against a sitting MP.
Avramopoulos has categorically denied all allegations, dismissing them as “nonsense.” Speaking to SKAI on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, he stated: “This entire story is nonsense. From what I understand, the police officers who failed to do their job properly are now under internal review—and they’ve opened an investigation, ignoring the fact that this case had already been examined two years ago.” He added, “I’m not afraid of anything,” and claimed the arrest warrant is “invalid.”
He also repeated his assertion that Chrysochoidis had held the Belgian authorities’ request in his office for two to three days before acting.
Ministry Clarifies Procedures
In response, ministry sources emphasized that Greek authorities consistently operate with full respect for the Constitution and both national and EU legislation. They clarified that matters related to the SIRENE (Supplementary Information Request at the National Entries) unit—including the handling of European Arrest Warrants—fall under the jurisdiction of the Athens Court of Appeal Prosecutor’s Office, which oversees the transmission of judicial information via the Schengen Information System (SIS).
“The European Arrest Warrant was forwarded within 24 hours to the competent Athens Court of Appeal Prosecutor for further action,” the sources said. “The Hellenic Police acted in full accordance with standard procedure for such warrants—exactly as they do in every comparable case. No citizen receives preferential treatment.”
They concluded: “Greek Police services handle sensitive cases daily—without leaks or premature public disclosure—as required by judicial directives and in full respect for equality before the law and citizens’ fundamental rights.”