The director general of the Ministry of Defense, Andreas Loukas, was not able yesterday to inform the deputies of the Audit Committee about the reasons for the suspension of the criminal prosecution of a senior officer of the Hellenic Armed Forces, who was arrested in possession of a small amount of cocaine and more than 50 vials of anabolic steroids. Instead of being prosecuted, the officer resigned with the blessings of the Legal Service, thus securing all his pension rights. He left the gate with the rank of colonel, as he was awarded an honorary rank for his contribution to the army! As it was revealed yesterday before the Parliamentary Audit Committee, the suspension of the criminal prosecution of the said officer was negotiated with his lawyers first by the former Attorney General, Costas Clerides, and then by the Assistant Attorney General, Savvas Angelidis, who, as environment, implemented the decision taken by Mr. Clerides.
No excuse…
DISY MP, Rita Superman, who retired from the Police Corps as a senior officer, reasonably asked the Audit Committee yesterday what were the reasons for the suspension of the criminal prosecution of this officer, who, admittedly, admitted in his testimony to Drug Prosecution Service that the small amount of cocaine found in his home is for his own use, as well as anabolic steroids. The director general of the Ministry of Defense, Andreas Loukas, referred Ms. Superman to the Legal Service. “Neither do we, as the Ministry of Defense, know why the case was closed. You should ask the Legal Service “, answered Mr. Loukas. In her own intervention, the AKEL MP Mrs. Irini Charalambidou stated that YKAN disagreed with the suspension of the criminal prosecution of the said officer. “Immediately after his arrest and admission that he is a drug user, he should be stopped by the EF and at the same time prosecuted for possession of anabolic substances and drugs”, said Ms. Charalambidou, complaining to the Legal Service that she suspended the criminal prosecution of the said officer not to lose his retirement benefits. “Imagine what he did to the soldiers when he was in possession of cocaine,” commented the chairman of the Control Committee, Zacharias Koulias. “It would be a good idea for him to be released on the same day he was arrested and for his criminal prosecution to continue,” the director general of the Ministry of Defense commented.
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