Corruption: Kövesi takes on the Greek government
At the Delphi Economic Forum Europe's Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi spoke about tensions between the Greek government and European prosecutors investigating alleged misuse of European funds. A number of Greek officials have accused her of political interference. At the same time Kövesi rejected statements by government officials saying that Greeks accept corruption as a way of life.
She owes the Greeks an apology
The European chief prosecutor went too far, news website Capital says:
“Kövesi had every right to take action against the fraudsters. In doing so, she would have had the support of every decent citizen in this country. But the moment she allowed an accusation that went beyond the actual culprits to hang over the whole of Greece, she was held responsible something far more serious than an unfortunate choice of words. She has put those who committed the fraud and those who paid the price for it in the same moral category. For a politician this would be demagoguery. For a public prosecutor it is institutional misconduct. Ms Kövesi owes the Greek people a correction and an apology.”
Imported justice better than none at all
At last the corruption is being investigated, the online portal TVXS sighs in relief:
“Had the European Public Prosecutor's Office not launched an investigation into the OPEKEPE [Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid], the scandal would have been covered up, just like the wiretapping scandal, the Tempi train crash and all the others. Kövesi is doing the work that Greek judges should be doing. It is a disgrace for the country, but imported justice is better than no justice at all. ... Kövesi has shown that she's a tough cookie who will stick to her guns. She did not hesitate when she had to put the Mitsotakis government in its place and lay bare the pressure that she was under.”