US ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt reportedly told main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis that “there is no FBI investigation” involving Greek politicians, ND sources said after a meeting between the two men in Parliament on Monday.
The same sources claimed that the veteran US diplomat was referring to the ongoing Novartis case furor that has engulfed Greece’s political arena, saying the FBI probe focuses on alleged criminal violations of US federal law – but not any Greek politicians.
Nevertheless, hours after the meeting, unnamed sources representing the government claimed that Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' diplomatic adviser with Pyatt immediately after statements attributed to the latter by ND sources were widely circulated.
"... he (Pyatt) never referred to whether or not Greek politicians are found in the FBI investigation into the Novartis scandal," was the late-night and hastily issued (unofficial) statement.
The poll-trailing leftist-rightist coalition government has enthusiastically seized on an indictment sent to Parliament by an anti-corruption prosecutor last week. The latter focuses on an investigation into alleged kickbacks and bribery charges by Novartis’ Greek subsidiary. The voluminous indictment includes allegations against 10 top Greek politicians made by three “protected witnesses”, essentially anonymous witnesses whose testimony - over the course of three months - implicated two former prime ministers and eight one-time health ministers.
The 10 politicians - including former PM Antonis Samaras, EU Commissioner Dimitris Avrampoulos and central banker Yannis Stournaras, among others - have directly and loudly pointed to a conspiracy orchestrated by the Tsipras coalition government. A handful of lawsuits were subsequently filed, including against the anonymous witnesses.
Conversely, based on press reports that have surfaced in Athens over the past week, only one Greek politician’s name is listed in the FBI’s probe, namely, that of current Shipping Minister Panayiotis Kouroumblis, as the latter confirmed himself.
Mitsotakis and Pyatt also, according to the same reports, discussed the fYRoM “name issue”, as well as what Athens considers as increased Turkish provocations in the eastern Aegean and the neighboring country’s destabilizing role in the wider region.
