Former Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Costas Ach. Karamanlis, has chosen to respond to the parliamentary pre-investigation committee with a brief, written memorandum. This approach mirrors that of Christos Triantopoulos, who similarly submitted a written response weeks earlier.

In his 130-word statement, Karamanlis firmly denies any involvement in the Tempe rail disaster. “With this memorandum, I deny that I have committed the investigated act of breach of duty or any other punishable act,” he writes. He further expresses his desire to contribute fully to the clarification of the case and to the demonstration of his innocence. He requests that the case proceed to criminal prosecution by the Parliament’s Plenary and be handed over to an investigative judge appointed by the Judicial Council, under article 86 of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, the committee rejected a request by victims’ relatives to appear in support of the charges before the Special Court—a decision taken by majority vote.

In protest, the New Left party withdrew from the session. Spokesperson Nasos Iliopoulos issued a strong statement condemning the proceedings:

“Today is a day of shame. Mr Karamanlis sent a 130-word memorandum – he could not write even three words for each of the dead victims. New Democracy believes this is how the committee should function. In reality, it is neutralising the ability of Parliament to investigate, to function constitutionally, and to pursue truth and justice for the victims of Tempe. This disgrace lies solely with the government.”

The pre-investigation committee is continuing its deliberations behind closed doors. The next phase will involve allowing parliamentary groups to prepare their conclusions. A final session will then be convened to assess these findings before they are submitted for debate in the Plenary.

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