Two top-ranking government officials are expected to be questioned by lawyer Achilleas Emilianides, who was appointed by Attorney-general Giorgos Savvides, to look into the scandal involving a senior police officer allegedly trying to obtain private video footage of central prisons director Anna Aristotelous.
Also, the senior police officer who allegedly colluded with a life-sentenced inmate to damage the reputation of the central prisons director will find out whether he will get suspended on Wednesday.
On Monday he was given two days to respond to the allegations before Justice Minister Stephi Dracou makes her final decision on his possible suspension.
“I will listen to him carefully before taking a decision on the matter,” Dracou, who is also set to meet the Greek Justice Minister Costas Tsiaras on Wednesday, said.
The latest turn of events come a day after government spokesman Marios Pelekanos said President Nicos Anastasiades was aware of some issues between Aristotelous and police officers working there but not the specifics.
Over the weekend it was claimed that both Anastasiades and Attorney-general Giorgos Savvides were aware of the complaint for some weeks.
But speaking to state broadcaster CyBC on Tuesday, Pelekanos said Anastasiades was as surprised as everyone else when he heard the news that broke last Friday.
“The president knew of the ongoing issues regarding the cooperation between the central prisons management and the police force.
“However, he first heard of the potential video footage leak last week, when the news broke,” Pelekanos said, adding that the government is carefully looking into the scandal.
On Monday, Aristotelous filed a complaint against the senior police officer implicated in the scandal to overwhelming backing from prisoners, former prisoners and prison staff who staged a demonstration in her support.
“My lawyers have hand-delivered my complaints to the attorney-general, alongside all of the relevant evidence regarding the actions of a senior officer that were intended to harm me, and which we believe constitute a blatant act of corruption, more so because they were committed by a member of the police,” Aristotelous told reporters after the demonstration.
“We are talking about a senior officer who did not hesitate to use his influence, abusing his power, and no one can question any such action during the investigation”.
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