Ex-minister appeals again as panel finalizes report

Former leftist alternate justice minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos, who has been under investigation by a parliamentary committee for allegedly seeking to influence the course of a judicial probe into the Novartis bribery affair, appealed to a judicial council before the panel is due to make public its findings, it emerged on Monday.

Last week the former minister appealed to the council, raising objections to several aspects of the parliamentary probe and to the panel’s composition.

He claims that the investigation against him is politically motivated and amounts to groundless persecution.

Political parties have been asked to submit their final positions to the panel by Wednesday so that the report can be made public as scheduled the following day.