Corruption
There is much talk about corruption lately, not only in Greece but also internationally. It is indicative of this trend that according to a survey printed in The Economist recently, a large number of well-known firms have decided to put a break on illicit transactions as they realize that bribery has caused an extreme surge in the cost of products in half the countries worldwide. As regards Greece, the picture painted by international organizations and the State’s monitoring bodies is tragic. Corruption has corroded many sectors, particularly services, and nothing advances without kickbacks and bribes. Hence the government’s intention to introduce stricter controls – to enhance the financial crimes squad and to set rules and limits on political money, hence taking part in the global campaign against the black economy – are on the right track. However, once again there is great inconsistency between the government’s words and deeds. This is manifest in the case of business tycoon Socrates Kokkalis. The prosecutor has tabled charges against Kokkalis, accusing him of what the prime minister and the justice minister claim to fight… But the usually vociferous representatives of the government, who pretend to be fighting the lack of transparency, have chosen to stay silent, or at best hide behind the monotonous excuse that they are siding with justice…
