ND says prosecutor’s claims confirm Novartis case is a ‘frame-up’

The main opposition said on Wednesday that the allegations made by a deputy Supreme Court prosecutor on the Novartis case proves that the probe was a government frame-up.

Deputy Supreme Court Prosecutor Ioannis Angelis implicated on Wednesday a government official in the alleged bribery scandal involving the Swiss drugs manufacturer.

The official, who Angelis said is active in the judicial sector, was identified in his statement only as “Rasputin.”

He alleged that the probe into the potential implication of political officials into the Novartis affair has been marred by a series of irregularities, while making allegations of a campaign to victimize political rivals.

In the same statement, Angelis called on Supreme Court Prosecutor Xeni Dimitriou, Justice Minister Michalis Kalogirou and the corruption prosecutors to testify in the case.

“Once again, it is confirmed that the SYRIZA government set up an unprecedented frame-up with the Novartis case, in which top officials participated,” New Democracy said in a press release.

The party said it expects judicial authorities to investigate the claims.

Commenting on the same allegations, former Conservative premier Antonis Samaras called for a reopening of a lawsuit he had filed against current Greek Premier Alexis Tsipras in February 2018, in which he accused him of being behind a plot to tarnish opposition politicians by implicating them in the Novartis bribery claims.

“By now, the content of by lawsuit concerning…a conspiracy is fully confirmed. The government cannot hide any longer. I request the reopening of my suit, so that truth can shine,” he said in a statement.