Why Kostas Karamanlis ‘Broke His Silence’ Now – Government Sees Negligence

The government’s decision to refer the former Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, who is under preliminary investigation, to his natural judge, along with yesterday’s announcement in Parliament about transferring the controversial legal documentation to the legislature, prompted Kostas Karamanlis to declare that he is “at the disposal of the authorities.” After a long silence, as parties began reviewing the massive documentation of 59,000 files and videos to identify possible criminal liabilities for the Tempi tragedy, Kostas Karamanlis made a public statement. “The Larissa Preliminary Investigating Judge, without making any assessment or formulating any charges, asks Parliament to evaluate whether there are criminal liabilities of former ministers. I am certain 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,” he declared. The government had previously signaled its view of negligence based on warnings from two former General Directors of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, and letters received in Kostas Karamanlis’s office highlighting safety issues on the railway. Referring to the Mati fire and the Patras-Pyrgos road, which remains unfinished after years, the government spokesperson attempted to refute opposition party accusations of malfeasance against K. Karamanlis. While the government sees negligence, most opposition parties see malfeasance, leading to three expected proposals for the establishment of a Preliminary Investigation Committee for Kostas Karamanlis.