Witness protection lifted in Novartis case
Decision paves way for politicians that had been implicated, and cleared, to take legal action
Two key witnesses in the long-running Novartis bribery scandal in Greece, code-named “Ekaterini Kelesi” and “Maximos Sarafis,” have lost their protected status after a decision by two Greek prosecutors on Thursday.
The pivotal move opens the way for the implicated politicians to take legal action against the witnesses. The Novartis case, which began in 2017, alleged that several prominent Greek politicians accepted bribes from the Swiss pharmaceutical giant in exchange for facilitating the company’s business in Greece, notably during the economic crisis years.
Initially, 10 political figures were accused, including former prime minister Antonis Samaras, Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras, and Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis. However, after years of investigation, the charges against these figures were dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Despite the dismissal of the cases, the scandal left a lasting stain on Greece’s political landscape. The testimonies of the two protected witnesses were key elements in building the case, making this latest development significant for those seeking legal redress.
The decision to lift their protective status follows allegations raised in Parliament in July by Kyriakos Velopoulos, leader of the Greek Solution party, who claimed that Pavlos Sarakis, the lawyer representing the witnesses (and also a former member of his party), had received $30 million from the US government as compensation for his involvement in the Novartis case. This claim reignited demands from implicated politicians to unmask the witnesses, supported by the Justice Ministry’s recent reforms that allow for reviewing witness protection status.
Samaras and other politicians, including Georgiadis, expressed satisfaction with the decision. In a statement, Samaras called it a “step toward revealing the truth,” adding that the protagonists of this scheme “will be revealed.” Georgiadis described the development as “a day of vindication” in a post on X.
However, critics warn that this action could have far-reaching consequences for the protection of future whistleblowers. Legal experts and human rights groups have expressed concern that removing protections might discourage people from coming forward in corruption cases, fearing retaliation. They argue that such actions could compromise Greece’s judicial system and its ability to pursue high-profile corruption cases, especially in politically charged environments.
The Novartis scandal, which involved allegations of widespread corruption across several countries, remains one of the most complex legal sagas in Greece.
