Former Novartis Greece vice-president and GM Constantinos Frouzis, one of the protagonists in a years-old judicial probe into allegations of high-level kickbacks by the pharmaceutical multinational in the country, on Thursday finally answered questions about the explosive case, but not from prosecutors overseeing the probe but by members of a Parliamentary preliminary fact-finding committee.
Although a closed-door session, Frouzis’ responses were widely leaked in the local press even as the eight-hour-long testimony was continuing, with the one-time top executive reportedly charging that he was “targeted” by specific anti-corruption prosecutors in order to be used against politicians.
The “politicians” in question are 10 past prime ministers and ministers implicated by a trio of anonymous witnesses, most of whom were and are bitter rivals of the leftist SYRIZA party, which was in power during most of the period that the still ongoing probe dragged on.
According to press reports, Frouzis responded to a MP’s question by saying that “…I have not given a euro to anyone; I have not given money to any politician … I never met, privately, with Antonis Samaras (the former premier) , I never transported money in a carry-on bag or even a flying bag”.
The same reports have Frouzis charging that he was pressured by the head of the anti-corruption prosecutor’s office, Eleni Touloupaki, during an unofficial May 2018 meeting to cooperate with the investigation and to essentially enter in a status where he would be considered a “protected witness”.
Based on another press leak, Frouzis, who also served as the president of the local drug companies’ association, said no specific names of politicians were mentioned during that meeting.
Up until today, no judicial official or magistrate has summoned Frouzis to testify or answer questions regarding the case, and specifically the allegations by the three anonymous witnesses.
Of the 10 politicians implicated by the unknown witnesses’ claims, prosecutors failed to corroborate allegations against the seven, shelving the files against them.
