Witness protection lifted in Novartis case

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...