Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party is countering recent government accusations over past scandals – mostly focusing on health care sector procurements and spending, and fueled by pro-government media outlets – by pointing to allegations that a coterie of current ministers pressured the state-run natural gas provider to continue supply to a debt-laden company.
The company in question is a fertilizer manufacturer belonging to controversial Greek businessman and investor Lavrentis Lavrentiadis, who is facing several felony charges at present.
The latest twist in the case and related ND criticism revolves around what the Athens daily “Nea” claims is a close associate of Minister Nikos Pappas, as the former appears to have earned hundreds of thousands of euros in remuneration from Lavrentiadis’ companies in 2016 and 2017.
A former head of state-run DE.PA, the gas utility, Theodoros Kitsakis, who was appointed by ruling SYRIZA, has charged that he was contacted by at least five ministers over the year in order to ensure the uninterrupted gas supply to Lavrentiadis’ company, even though the latter owe up to 120 million euros in arrears for the years 2015 to 2018.
Kitsakis, who served as DE.PA CEO, himself faces felony breach of faith charges for allegedly failing to collect 110 million euros owed by Lavrentiadis’ Piraeus-based Hellenic Fertilizers and Chemicals (ELFE) S.A.
