Ex-PM Pikrammenos: Novartis case set up by politicians to harm opponents

Straight on the heels of the judiciary's decision to close his case file regarding possible involvement in the Novartis scandal for lack of any evidence, former caretaker PM Panagiotis Pikrammenos has said that the Novartis scandal in Greece was set up by politicians who attempted to exploit real corruption in the pharmaceuticals industry in order to harm their political opponents.

Pikrammenos told SKAI television that the Novartis affair will have deep and lasting repercussions as it has poisoned Greek society by cultivating doubts about the functioning of institutions.

Noting that there have been strong and sharp political clashes, the ex-PM said that, "Now we must put things back in order."

The moderate and soft-spoken former president of Greece's Council of State evoked great sympathy from the public when he teared while defending himself and his decades-long unblemished public service. He said that he was slandered and that there have been no shadows in a career of four decades.

Pikrammenos said that there was inadequate evidence for the ten politicians who were investigated in the Novartis case (including himself) and that as a judge he would have needed more solid evidence.
He said the case is a farcical comedy with a bad author, bad actors and bad direction.