“Justice is independent, it works in its own independent way. We will not set up PASOK courts or SYRIZO courts,” ND parliamentary representative Dimitris Markopoulos replied to the critical reports of the presidents and parliamentary representatives of the opposition parties on the judicial development of the wiretapping case during the debate in the plenary session of the law on the ratification of the concession contract for state lotteries.
Mr. Markopoulos accused the opposition that today and yesterday in one way or another “directly and clearly questioned the judiciary” by crossing “the fine line between political and judicial power”. He pointed out that there is a clear distinction in the Constitution between the executive and the judiciary and blamed the opposition parties for “this fine line of balance between the separation of the two powers has been broken down.”
“This direct and crude attack on justice hides many dangers,” warned the ND MP. He dismissed as “dystopian” reports by the opposition that the government had appointed Mr. Tzavela as deputy prosecutor, bypassing the order, saying that “Mr. Tzavelas has been voted by his colleagues for the position and not by the South West.”
He called on the opposition parties to take note of the statements of the Judges and Prosecutors Associations protesting against the recent attacks on them and their targeting by certain political parties, adding that “political intimidation of the judiciary may be a plan that some may want to use for the purpose of leading the judiciary.”
“We will not accept to set up people’s courts, PASOK courts or SYRIZO courts. We are forgiven but we will not take. Justice is independent, it works in its own independent way,” Markopoulos said and accused the opposition that “these two days it has eroded the prestige of justice.” He even accused PASOK-KINAL chairman Nikos Androulakis that “with his attitude he is not only participating but leading the questioning of Justice and this is problematic and should be evaluated by the citizens”. He said that PASOK-KINAL “cannot want to have its own odd-even” as “on the one hand, you denounce us for attacking the European Public Prosecutor Mrs. Covesi and on the other hand you are directly attacking and questioning the institution of the Supreme Court!”
The parliamentary spokesman of the Southwestern Democratic Party recalled that during the SYRIZA government there had been the case of the surveillance of Mr. Pitsiorla but “we never got any answer from you on this case”. He also added that “the parties of the Novartis conspiracy, of corruption and their constant toxicity cannot present themselves to us as immaculate and untainted and sow doubts against the institutions, because this is dangerous.”
