Public engagement in Greece has increased and the government took urgent measures to tackle high level corruption and to restore the confidence of Greeks in the political system.
A new bill of the Ministry of Justice announced yesterday by Justice Minister Haris Kastanidis, will introduce a detailed monitoring of tax returns of political parties to find means by which they have bought their apartments and all properties. Henceforth control over the assets of politicians will be carried out by five-member committee composed of judicial officers. With the exception of the deputy speaker of parliament, no other MP will be included. The Commission will oversee the finances of the parties and the election expenses of Deputies.
Discussed are the confiscation of property and taking away parliamentary mandate in the event that a member directly or indirectly is involved in an offshore company. Concealment of assets will be considered as a criminal act and a penalty of ten years will be imposed when the concealed data exceeds the value of €300 000. Under the new bill the Minister of Justice will be able to control the ownership of a politician when he has concrete charge against in his hands. The new bill will include all criminal acts related to the exercise of duties by the politicians.
Tax returns of all politicians made in the last twenty years, will come to the open and will be fully investigated. Particular attention will be paid to politicians who have served in positions as ministers and deputy ministers of public order defence, of culture and of transportation.
In the fight against corruption and bribery the parliament created a commission which will investigate the two big scandals that erupted during the previous government of New Democracy.
The parliamentary committee, which is working on the Siemens scandal will ask for an extension until June 30, said the committee chairwoman Siphi Valiraki. In parallel, control will be initiated over the properties acquired during the past 20 years of all ministers and deputy ministers in the ministries connected with the Siemens affair. According to the chairwoman of the committee, there are traces that lead to politicians from both major parties.
Day after the parliamentary committee heard the testimonies of former employees of the government of New Democracy in regards to the Vatopedi case - Yannis Angelo, George Alogoskoufis and George Voulgarakis, who said that they were not involved in the case. Yesterday before the committee appeared also Theodoros Roussopoulos. He stressed that his only connection with abbot Ephraim of the Vatoped monastery is spiritual. A total of 11 politicians will testify to the Audit Committee of Parliament, which examines the political dimensions of Vatopedi monastery scandal with properties in Greece.
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