Speaking to ERT about his involvement in the case, Senetakis referred to the memorandum he submitted to parliament’s Ethics Committee, in which, he said, he makes clear that he is accused of acts he has never committed.
He argued that such interventions are part of everyday parliamentary activity, stating: ‘It is within the context of our everyday life to make such recommendations and such suggestions to the administration. What we all need to discuss is how they should be done. These interventions must be carried out transparently so that there is no feeling that this is about a personal interest, but about the collective benefit.’
At the same time, he said that if he were in the same position again, he would act in a more institutional and transparent way, adding that he ‘would do it again more institutionally and transparently, so that both my intervention and the legality of my intervention would be visible’.
Senetakis claimed that all his actions were taken within the framework of his parliamentary duties and said he wanted the investigative process to proceed immediately so that he could fully present his case. As he put it, ‘it is a relief, as a cycle of humiliation that I could not defend myself against is coming to an end’.
Referring to the substance of the case, he said his request to the OPEKEPE administration concerned the process of amending a farmer’s declared production quantities, which until 2020 had been carried out automatically through the invoices submitted by the producer. However, he said that in 2021 OPEKEPE changed that procedure without properly informing producers.
In conclusion, he argued that ‘the way OPEKEPE operated was not appropriate’, saying that this dysfunction had led not only MPs but also local officials of the organisation to point out problems arising from the regulatory changes. According to Senetakis, his own case falls within that context, as it concerned a simple update related to a problem caused by changes in the system.
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