The debate in the plenary session of the Parliament on the preliminary inquiry’s conclusion that proposes to refer Triandopoulos to the Judicial Council began with tension.

The opposition parties raised procedural objections, denouncing the procedure as irregular and the conclusion as unconstitutional, and called for the adjournment of the debate.

It will be recalled that the majority’s conclusion adopted the recommendation of PASOK‘s original proposal, which was voted by 278 MPs to impeach the former deputy minister with the offence of misconduct in office.

SYRIZA President Socrates Famelos, intervening at the start of the session, raised procedural objections, spoke of a “coup in the rule of law” and called for the debate to be suspended and the file to be returned to the preliminary inquiry for further investigation. “I have asked for the floor because I have to put forward our views and denounce the unconstitutional nature of today’s sitting. That today’s unconstitutional and illegal proceedings be discontinued. To defend the Constitution and the need for justice.On your attitude will depend whether you will put an end to a coup d’etat in the rule of law,” Famellos said at first to add at another point ”

The process planned to be completed today

– violates the Constitution (Article 86),
– violates the Law on the Responsibility of Ministers ( Law 3126/03),
– violates the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament (Article 156),
– violates fundamental principles of criminal procedure.

The president of SYRIZA argued that the majority’s conclusion being discussed in the plenum was drawn up without any substantial investigation and claimed that “With these data, any conclusion report could only be inadequate, incomplete and unsafe. For this reason, we request that the proceedings be discontinued and the case be re-referred to the preliminary committee, asking it to apply the rules of the House and the prescribed procedure of criminal procedure and thus broaden the indictment.” At the same time, he stressed that SYRIZA will not legitimize the procedure.

“You set up a regular omertà, ‘you covered him to cover you’. We only saw this in mafia gangs.And you want the debate on your own responsibility for the conflict not to be opened in Parliament, because the government is responsible for the conflict and the collapse in your government of every system of control and security,” he said, while addressing the parties, he noted “to take a clear position.”

Your possible consent to this process means that you are legitimizing the violation of the Constitution, the Rules of Parliament and the Criminal Procedure that you share the responsibility with the government for the indictment of Triandopoulos, with a limited indictment, with incomplete evidence, with gagging of witnesses and with evidence of invalidity and therefore his possible acquittal.”

Zoe Konstantopoulou then took the floor and addressing the members of the New Democracy said “The vote to close the preliminary investigation is a criminal act. You are committing a grave offence”.

“The procedure has no validity. The Conference of Speakers of Parliament did not meet to schedule the discussion of the report. You are attempting to cover up the responsibilities of Triandopoulou with malpractice.” The president of the Course of Freedom said “We question the validity of the closure of the preliminary investigation. We do not consent”.