Greek government hails decision to lift witness protection in Novartis case as landmark for “truth and justice”

In a written statement, Marinakis highlighted that the February amendments to Article 218 of the Code of Criminal Procedure introduced provisions for the reassessment of witness protection status, specifically allowing prosecutors to withdraw protection if the conditions no longer warrant it. He claimed the decision marked “a victory for democratic resilience,” adding, “Our democracy is resilient. The truth will shine.”

Health Minister Georgiadis took to social media, stating, “Today’s decision by the Economic Prosecutor to finally remove protection from the two individuals who falsely accused me and nine of my colleagues is a day of vindication.” He expressed confidence that legal proceedings would now investigate the origins of the allegations, saying, “It is impossible that they concocted such monstrous lies alone. We need to know who instigated this.”

This latest development follows calls for the witnesses’ identities to be disclosed by former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and other prominent officials, including Yiannis Stournaras and Andreas Loverdos, who filed requests with the Financial Crimes Prosecutor’s Office in July. Samaras said, “The road is now wide open for the full and official disclosure of the Novartis scheme. The causes and protagonists of this misery will be revealed.”

The two witnesses, who testified under the codenames “Aikaterini Kelesi” and “Maximos Sarafis,” were initially granted protection to provide information on allegations implicating high-profile political figures in the Novartis affair. The lifting of their protection marks a significant shift in the handling of the case, which remains politically divisive, and has far-reaching implications for the integrity of witness protection policies in Greece.

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