Karamanlis Bypasses Preliminary Investigation, Directly to Judicial Council Following Triantopoulos Model

Costas Karamanlis, as informed by the column, agreed during discussions with Maximos to be referred directly to his natural judge, the Judicial Council, bypassing a preliminary investigation, following in Triantopoulos’s footsteps. With the announcement of the transfer of the indictment concerning him to Parliament, he made a statement: ‘The Larissa Examining Magistrate, without making any assessment or formulating any charge, asks Parliament to evaluate whether there are criminal liabilities for former ministers.’ He added, ‘I am sure of my innocence. As I have stated many times in the past, I am at the disposal of the authorities so that the truth may prevail.’ The most likely scenario is that Karamanlis will speak in the parliamentary session discussing the establishment of a Preliminary Committee whenever it is constituted (likely early June) to explain his innocence and address accusations against him. Meanwhile, Nikitas Kaklamani is preparing stricter measures for those who misbehave in Parliament, including cutting speaking time and more severe penalties.