The investigation, says the same report, also reveals that the interest in “national” issues does not just stem on patriotism, but rather on more mundane and selfish motives.
It is a fact that Karatzaferis and his party expressed a special interest in the supply of defence systems to the Hellenic Armed Forces, but as we can all see, they didn't really do this because they were patriots, because there were offshore accounts and kickbacks involved.
HellasFrappe has highly criticized the LAOS party over the past three years because we did not buy into their patriotic rhetoric. We knew that there were other interests at play when they suddenly and surprisingly made their way into the Greek parliament. Also, HellasFrappe has always felt that Karatzaferis was nothing more than an opportunist who would even sell his own siblings for the right price.
We have been vindicated because according to the article in To Vima the biggest dilemma of the LAOS party was their interest in our Greek defence systems. The article states that it was was so pressing that on April 28th, 2011, Evangelos Venizelos who at the time held the post of Defense Minister, under the Papandreou government, was forced to publicly declare how Karatzaferis visited him and asked him to receive two submarines. He later made his MPs ask questions on the matter.
During this period the armaments scandal erupted starring former PASOK Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos (who today is serving a jail-term for his involvement). While this was going on, Karatzaferis, reveals the paper, more or less defended Tsohatzopoulos in Parliament and also defended the off shore companies that were being questioned.
Let us make it more simple. Where there is smoke there is usually fire.
There are just too many coincidences in conjunction with the extensive special interest in supply programs, and all the reports over the last two days that suggest that a political figure is unfairly being targeted are groundless. Karatzaferis will finally be exposed, whether some forces of interests like it or not.
Let us hope that the investigation sheds light and finally yields results. Let us also hope that it will expose the responsibilities of all of those who throughout these years manipulated the state system in order to fatten their wallets.
This bribery scourge, which appears to have flourished for many years in the defence sector, must finally come to an end.
At the same time though, a meaningful solution must be found for the farce that is the asset declaration of politicians (otherwise known as the "pothen esches"). The data that is usually included in these declarations never reveals anything, nor is it ever inspected. It is this very lack of transparency and the comparing financial conditions that have over time rendered the asset declaration an unreliable paper chase.
It is the responsibility and duty of all politicians, for their own protection and credibility to safeguard their prestige and reputation and to establish an inspection framework that is not going to allow anyone to conceal illegally acquired assets and/or funds.
Reference: The To Vima newspaper
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