Probe against ex-minister Papangelopoulos resumes

A judicial probe against a former SYRIZA government minister resumes Friday with the deposition of Evangelos Venizelos, deputy prime minister and foreign minister in the conservative-socialist coalition government of 2013-15.

The probe had been suspended over procedural arguments regarding whether a deputy Supreme Court prosecutor would be able to question the witness. In the end, a panel of five judges decided 3-2 against.

Dimitris Papangelopoulos, who served as alternate justice minister from 2015 to 2019, is accused of seeking to incriminate political opponents during the investigation into the purported Novartis pharmaceutical bribery scandal. He denies any wrongdoing.

Parliament decided last July that he would be tried by a special court composed of Supreme Court and Council of State judges.

Andreas Loverdos, a socialist former health minister, will be deposed next week.