A majority of Greek Parliament's 300 MPs - 187 - on Tuesday evening approved of a motion to establish a preliminary committee of inquiry into the actions of former SYRIZA minister Nikos Pappas' handling of a nationwide television licensing tender between 2015 and 2016.
Two hundred and eighty-nine deputies cast ballots in the secret vote, with all but one being valid. Besides the 187 votes in favor of establish such a committee of inquiry, 85 voted against and 16 "present". Another nine deputies belonging to the left-of-center MeRA 25 party led by one of Pappas' former colleagues in the first SYRIZA cabinet (Jan 2015-July 2015), Yanis Varoufakis, abstained.
Pappas himself could not vote, per Parliament's regulation.
As expected, deputies from ruling New Democracy party, socialist KI.NAL and right-of-center Elliniki Lysi had been expected to vote in favor, essentially toeing the party line.
Conversely, MPs from leftist SYRIZA, which the dominant party in the coalition ruling the country from 2015 to 2019, were expected to vote against the probe against their fellow party member.
