Kostas Karamanlis: I am not hiding behind parliamentary immunity

Former Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Kostas Karamanlis, during his speech in the debate on censure motion against the government stressed that “I did not hide, I am not hiding, and I will not be hiding behind any parliamentary immunity. I have no parliamentary immunity.”

Karamanlis reminded the opposition parties that he had asked since October those who accused him to submit a proposal for the establishment of a Pre-Inquisition Committee for Tempi at the Hellenic Parliament.

He rejected the opposition’s claim that he wanted to re-elect as MP to have parliamentary immunity by saying “you know very well that this has nothing to do with reality”, noting that you know quite well that “the matter of the Tempi falls under article 86 of the Constitution. And there the procedure is specific. And whether I am a Member of Parliament today or not, nothing would change at all.”

The former minister said that “all my journey I have always exercised my duties with conscience, honesty and morality. I have nothing to hide or fear. I’m standing here looking you in the eyes. With utmost respect for the memory of those who were lost and their families. Whoever has genuine accusations against me with evidence, let him stop screaming and bring them.”

He accused SYRIZA of throwing mud and said: “Your target is not me. It is Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the New Democracy government.”

However, Karamanlis also responded to the opposition’s accusation that the government has allegedly invented some theory of human error, saying that “seven times the General Traffic Rules were violated”. He also stressed that “many fatal mistakes happened, not one unfortunately” and added that seven times the general traffic rules were infringed. “The continued violation of the regulation, of course, caused the tragedy,” he stressed.

Karamanlis said that “you think I would not give everything, so that these 57 people still live? “You accuse me of cover-up, while I resigned immediately and one reason was that there was no shadow left in the investigation of the tragic accident. I have assumed the political responsibility that is by definition objective,” said the former Minister of Infrastructure and Transport. Karamanlis also added “I speak to you through my soul as a man and as a father”.

He also said that from the first moment, both he and the Prime Minister were at the scene of the tragedy. “ We did not play a political theatre, as others did in the tragedy in Mati,” he stressed.