Iosif Tsalaganidis

Multiple members of Greece's judiciary have tested positive for Covid-19 in recent days, Kathimerini has learned. This includes several prominent jurists as well as an unknown number of positive cases that were diagnosed at the Athens Court of First Instance.

The process of appointing new presidents of the country's top courts began on Thursday with Justice Minister Konstantinos Tsiaras presenting the cabinet with a list of proposed candidates for the Supreme Court and the Council of State.

Greece's union of judges and prosecutors on Thursday reiterated its call for a change in the procedure for selecting the leadership of the country's top courts, saying it should also be consulted on the appointments.

Iosif Tsalaganidis has been appointed president of Greece's Supreme Court, it was announced Wednesday. He previously served as court vice-president.

The Parliament speaker and his deputies convened for a second day on Friday in an ongoing bid to appoint the country's new judicial leadership.

The choice of Supreme Court President is to be made from six current vice presidents: Angeliki Aliferopoulou, Giorgos Lekkas, Pinelope Zontanou, Iosif Tsalaganidis, Irini Kalou and Dimitra Kokotini. 

Three top judicial officials - Iosif Tsalaganidis, Pinelopi Zontanou and Angeliki Aliferopoulou - were short-listed on Thursday for the position of Supreme Court president following a session by Parliament's speaker and his deputies. 

The speakers are to convene again on Friday to evaluate candidates for another coveted post: the court's prosecutor. 

A special parliamentary body will hear on Thursday and Friday from 11 candidates vying for the positions of the president and top prosecutor of Greece's Supreme Court.

Ex-Finance Minister Giorgos Papaconstantinou will have to give testimony by June 11 in a special court, where he will be tried for allegedly doctoring the so-called Lagarde list of depositors.

It has emerged that five members of the Financial Crimes Squad have already given evidence to special magistrate Iosif Tsalaganidis, who will preside.

The special magistrate appointed to investigate whether Giorgos Papaconstantinou tampered with the Lagarde list of Greeks who had deposits at a Geneva branch of HSBC is expected to call the former finance minister to testify after Easter, source said on Friday.