Novartis: Why the prosecutor lifted witness protection for “Kelesi” and “Sarafis”

The Greek Justice system has removed the “masks” from protected witnesses “Maximos Sarafis” and “Aikaterini Kelesi,” almost six years after the Novartis case emerged under the SYRIZA-ANEL government as one of Greece’s largest scandals, which has since proven to be a major political fabrication.

A document from the Economic Crime Prosecutor’s Office, dated October 24, 2024, and signed by Deputy Prosecutor Eleni G. Papadopoulou, was revealed by Proto Thema, confirming the real identities of the witnesses with the codenames “Sarafis” and “Kelesi” as Filistor Destempasidis and Maria Marangeli.

As indicated in this document, addressed to Economic Crime Prosecutor Panagiota Fakou, Ms. Marangeli, who was the secretary to Konstantinos Frouzis, head of Novartis Hellas, entered the status of public-interest witness in 2017. A year later, similar witness protection status was granted to Mr. Destempasidis, a former senior executive at the pharmaceutical company.

The document states:

“In continuation of orders no. 1987/2024 from the Head of the Economic Crime Department of the Athens Appeals Prosecutor’s Office and no. 2081/2024 from you, I inform you that I issued orders AP 7 and 8/2024, respectively, to lift the protective orders no. 12/2017 and 1/2018 by the former Deputy Prosecutor for Anti-Corruption Crimes concerning the public-interest witnesses under the codenames ‘Aikaterini Kelesi’ and ‘Maximos Sarafis.’ I am attaching copies of the above orders and informing you that the real identities of the witnesses are Maria MARANGELI, daughter of Cleanthis…, and Filistor DESTEMPASIDIS, son of Charalambos…”

According to reports, the justification for the prosecutor’s decision to lift the protective status included the assertion that the accusations made by these two witnesses against ten political figures proved to be false.

It should be noted that the protection status of these two witnesses had been contested by former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, as well as other political figures like Adonis Georgiadis, Andreas Loverdos, and the Governor of the Bank of Greece, Yiannis Stournaras.

The document states:

“In response to the order number 1987/2024 from the Head of the Economic Crime Division of the Athens Court of Appeals and your order number 2081/2024, I inform you that I have issued orders number AP 7 and 8/2024, respectively, to lift the orders number 12/2017 and 1/2018 from the former Deputy Prosecutor for Corruption Crimes regarding the public interest witnesses with the code names ‘Aikaterini Kelesi’ and ‘Maximos Sarafis.’

I am attaching copies of the aforementioned orders and would like to inform you that the true identities of the witnesses are Maria MARANGELI, daughter of Cleanthis, and Filistori DESTEMPASIDIS, son of Charalambos.”

What Lifting Protected Witness Status Means

The decision now paves the way for political figures implicated through dubious testimonies in the Novartis case to take legal action against the two “protected witnesses” who have publicly accused them of being bribers for the multinational pharmaceutical company.

This development is marked by today’s bombshell decision from the relevant prosecutorial authorities, who have removed the “hoods” from the two remaining protected witnesses in the Novartis case and fully lifted their protection from any form of prosecution. These witnesses are “Aikaterini Kelesi” and “Maximos Sarafis,” individuals who, under these code names, had implicated ten political figures as the bribers in the Novartis scandal.

It should be noted that until a few months ago, lifting the protection status of a witness was not possible, and the disclosure of their name could only occur at the initiative of the witness themselves. However, a change in the Criminal Code last summer allowed the responsible prosecutor to reassess the protection status and determine whether to lift it or maintain it.

The declassification of these witnesses as “protected” and their designation as public interest witnesses by the Justice system comes approximately six years after the initial investigation was formed based on their testimonies.

Specifically, this investigation involved ten political figures from the period 2006-2015, including two former prime ministers, Antonis Samaras and Panagiotis Pikrammenos, as well as former ministers Yannis Stournaras, Dimitris Avramopoulos, Adonis Georgiadis, Evangelos Venizelos, Andreas Lykourentzos, Mario Salma, Andreas Loverdos, and George Koutroumanis. The allegations made against these individuals by the two protected witnesses included bribery, passive bribery, and breach of duty.

What followed is well known. This case ended in a “fiasco,” as the investigations against the political figures were shelved one after another due to lack of evidence. However, the shadow of these accusations likely lingered in the political life of the country and over those targeted by the testimonies given to then-corruption prosecutor Eleni Touloupaki by “Aikaterini Kelesi” and “Maximos Sarafis.”

Now, six years after this judicial back-and-forth, the two protected witnesses are forced to remove their “hoods” and face the consequences of the law, should the implicated political figures decide to take action against them. This is because the politicians accused by “Maximos Sarafis” and “Aikaterini Kelesi” now have the opportunity to sue them and seek judicial redress. Many of them had already filed lawsuits demanding the declassification of the witnesses as protected.

Who are Kelesi and Sarafis?

From the very first months when the Novartis scandal surfaced, information indicated that the two protected witnesses were Filistor Destempasidis and Maria Marangeli, individuals closely connected to the Greek branch of the pharmaceutical company.

Specifically, reports identified Maria Marangeli as the personal secretary to Konstantinos Frouzis, the former powerful executive of Novartis Hellas. The other witness, Filistor Destempasidis, was also a former executive of the company. However, in January 2023, it became known that Destempasidis had significant legal troubles. He was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, accused of orchestrating a large-scale fraud scheme against businessmen, offering false promises of quick and easy loans from banks in the United Arab Emirates. Following his testimony before the investigating judge, he was placed in pre-trial detention.

However, even earlier, in December 2019, Nikos Maniadakis testified before the parliamentary inquiry committee and revealed the names of the two protected witnesses in the Novartis case. He stated, “I have no doubt about the identity of the protected witnesses. I’ve seen them. They are Marangeli and Destempasidis.” Though both individuals denied this identification, Maniadakis persisted in his claim, stating that Marangeli, as Frouzis’ former secretary, “did not meet the criteria to be a protected witness,” and that Destempasidis, a former Novartis executive, was dismissed by the company before the investigation into the scandal began, thus making him an unreliable witness due to his own internal issues with the company.

Samaras: The Path to Uncovering the Conspiracy Opens

Former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, in a statement regarding the judicial decision, noted that now “the path for the complete and official revelation of the Novartis conspiracy has opened wide.”

“The decision of the judiciary is particularly significant. Because now the road is fully open for the complete and official unveiling of the Novartis conspiracy. The causes and key players behind this disgrace will be revealed. I am especially pleased with this development. The time of truth is coming. To the very end. For everything—and everyone!” he stated.

Η απόφαση της Δικαιοσύνης είναι ιδιαίτερα σημαντική. Διότι ανοίγει πλέον διάπλατα ο δρόμος για την πλήρη κι επίσημη αποκάλυψη της σκευωρίας Novartis.
Θα φανερωθούν τα αίτια και οι πρωταγωνιστές αυτής της αθλιότητας.

— Σαμαράς Αντώνης (@samaras_antonis) October 24, 2024

Marinakis: A Landmark Decision

“Our democracy is resilient, and the truth will shine,” said government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis, commenting on the decision to revoke the protection status of the Novartis case’s protected witnesses.

In detail, Mr. Marinakis stated: “Among the key changes proposed by the Ministry of Justice for the Code of Criminal Procedure, and passed by the Greek Parliament in February this year, was the amendment to Article 218 concerning the witness protection regime. Specifically, the addition of paragraph 7, which took effect on May 1, 2024, provides that:

The appropriateness and necessity of protective measures are continuously evaluated by the competent prosecutor, who can, at any time, modify or revoke them through his order. Alternatively, he may propose their modification or revocation if, in his judgment, the reasons for their imposition have changed or ceased to exist.

Today, the independent Greek judiciary issued a landmark decision, lifting the ‘masks’ from the false witnesses of the Novartis conspiracy.

Our democracy is resilient. The truth will shine.”

Andreas Loverdos: The Time of Truth is Approaching

Andreas Loverdos also commented on the decision by the economic prosecutor’s office to lift the protection status of the witnesses “Aikaterini Kelesi” and “Maximos Sarafis.”

“Greece is a State of Law. My decision to trust the judiciary and not hide behind parliamentary privileges was unwavering. I went through thousands of struggles, pains, and sacrifices, but justice prevailed. The time of truth is approaching,” he wrote on X.

Η Ελλάδα είναι Κράτος Δικαίου.
Η επιλογή μου να εμπιστευθώ τη Δικαιοσύνη και να μην κρυφτώ πίσω από βουλευτικά προνόμια ήταν ακλόνητη.
Πέρασα χίλιους κόπους βάσανα και θυσίες αλλά η Δικαιοσύνη έλαμψε.
Πλησιάζει η ώρα της αλήθειας. #novartis

— Andreas Loverdos (@a_loverdos) October 24, 2024

Adonis Georgiadis: “They must reveal who put them up to it; it’s impossible they came up with such monstrous lies on their own”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Adonis Georgiadis commented on the recent developments in the Novartis case.

“The decision by the Economic Prosecutor today to finally remove the protection from the two slanderers who falsely accused me and nine other colleagues in the Novartis case is a day of justice. However, the personal aspect takes a backseat to the interests of democracy. The key issue here is not to punish them — that will be decided institutionally by the justice system. The main issue is for them to reveal who put them up to it because it is impossible they concocted such monstrous lies on their own. Resolving this aspect is the only way to prevent the manipulation of institutions for political purposes in the future. This concerns all Greek citizens, not just the ten of us,” he wrote on his X profile.

Lykourentzos: “I reserve all my legal rights”

Former Minister of Health Andreas Lykourentzos also issued a statement: “The decision today by the Economic Prosecutor to lift the protective measures for those who had been designated as protected witnesses in the Novartis case is undoubtedly a positive development. It is now clear that, through the judicial process, we politicians, who suffered brutal slander, can defend our honor and integrity against conspirators and their enforcers. Personally, I reserve all my legal rights, as I have stated from the beginning, as a victim of this dark affair.”

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