Secret investigations in Novartis case
Anti-corruption prosecutors and police have been searching homes and workplaces linked to the Novartis case over the last few days, Kathimerini has learnt.
According to sources, authorities searched the home and office of the former secretary of New Democracy vice president Adonis Georgiadis on Friday and Saturday.
The search was ordered by anti-corruption prosecutor Eleni Touloupaki, who is leading the investigation into claims that pharmaceutical giant Novartis bribed Greek politicians.
The search was prompted by a statement given by one of the three protected witnesses on February 4. The woman, who has been given the pseudonym Katerina Kelesi, claimed, among other things, that the former vice president of Novartis Hellas, Konstantinos Frouzis, paid bribes to Georgiadis when he was health minister and gave envelopes with cash to the politician’s secretary.
Georgiadis has labelled the claims defamatory and says he intends to legal action against his accusers.
Kathimerini has also confirmed claims that before the details of the Novartis case were made public, Greece’s security services had monitored the suspects phone calls and electronic correspondence.
A well-informed source told Kathimerini that two special police units took part in the investigation carried out by the anti-corruption prosecutor by monitoring e-mails, recording conversations and checking on bank transactions.
