Eleven members of parliament from the Spartans Party have been summoned by the Supreme Court Prosecutor, Georgia Adeilini, to appear for questioning as suspects; for this reason, the chief prosecutor has submitted a written request to the Parliament for the required authorization.
Specifically, the 11 members of parliament from the “Spartans” party have been summoned as suspects to provide explanations regarding the deception of voters in the recent parliamentary elections, since, as stated in the prosecutor’s document, they belonged to the “Spartans” party led by Vasileios Stigas, but in reality had the support and full guidance of Ilias Kasidiaris, an incarcerated, convicted former senior leader of “Golden Dawn.”.
The prosecutor’s document states that «they effectively offered the Spartans party as a front for a new political party to Ilias Kasidiaris, thereby enabling him to circumvent the eligibility restrictions imposed by election law.».
Furthermore, the prosecutor’s document explains why the 11 Spartan members of parliament are being summoned to provide explanations to the Supreme Court Prosecutor herself on charges of deceiving voters.
The document from the Supreme Court prosecutor states that the 11 «must provide explanations regarding the allegation that, in the parliamentary elections of June 25, 2023, they jointly deceived voters in the following manner in order to sway their voting intentions, namely, to vote for them and their party rather than any other option.”.
Specifically, they jointly misled voters—so that the latter would vote for them and their party—by claiming to be parliamentary candidates for the “Spartans,” led by Vasileios Stigas, and that they adhere to the principles of that party, whose organization and activities comply with the requirements of electoral law and serve the free functioning of the democratic system.
The truth, however, was that they had been selected by Ilias Kasidiaris and not by Vasileios Stigas, that it was thanks to the former’s support that they had been elected to parliament, and that they recognized the former as their true leader, who was guiding them from prison.».
It should be noted that Ms. Adeilini is conducting a criminal investigation in response to public allegations made by the leader of the “Spartans.” Vasilis Stigas had denounced extra-parliamentary centers and underground machinations within his party, even using extremely harsh terms such as «Greek Mafia” and »Don Corleone.«.
The prosecutor’s document requests permission from Parliament for the 11 Spartans MPs to provide explanations, specifically: 1) Athanasios Chalkias, 2)Charalambos Kastivardas, 3) Georgios Manousos, 4) Alexandros Zerveas, 5) Ioannis Dimitrakallis, 6) Dionysios Valtogiannis, 7) Georgios Aspiotis, 8) Michael Gavgiotakis, 9) Ioannis Kontis, 10) Petros Dimitriadis, and 11) Konstantinos Floros.
Specifically, the prosecutor's document reads as follows:
«To the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament.
Through the Minister of Justice
In accordance with Article 83, paragraph 1, of the Rules of the House of Representatives, as currently in force, and Article 56 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, we are forwarding to you the attached file containing certified copies (sequentially numbered and listed in an inventory) of the materials from preliminary criminal investigation file No. 6267/2023, which was initiated ex officio by the Supreme Court Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the allegations made by Vasileios Stigas, leader of the Spartans Party, both in Parliament (session on Thursday, August 31, 2023) and in his media interviews, regarding extra-parliamentary centers such as «Greek Mafia” and «Don Corleone,” which direct and manipulate the members of his party, etc.
We also request that the Parliament rule, in accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution, on whether or not to grant the necessary authorization to question the members of the Spartans’ party as suspects.
1) Athanasios Chalkias, 2) Charalambos Kastivardas, 3) Georgios Manousos, 4) Alexandros Zerveas, 5) Ioannis Dimitrakallis, 6) Dionysios Valtogiannis, 7) Georgios Aspiotis, 8) Michael Gavgiotakis, 9) Ioannis Kontis, 10) Petros Dimitriadis, and 11) Konstantinos Floros.
The above-mentioned individuals should provide explanations regarding the allegation that, in the parliamentary elections of June 25, 2023, they jointly deceived the voters, in the manner described below in order to influence their voting intentions—that is, to persuade them to vote for these individuals and their party rather than any other option. Specifically, they jointly misrepresented themselves to the voters,so that the voters would vote for them and their party, claiming that they were candidates for the Spartians party, led by Vasileios Stigas, and that they adhered to the principles of that party, whose organization and activities meet the requirements of electoral law and serve the free functioning of the democratic system. The truth, however, was that they had been selected by Ilias Kasidiaris and not by Vasileios Stigas, that it was thanks to the former’s support that they had been elected to Parliament, and that they recognized the former as their true leader, who was guiding them from prison.
In fact, even before the election, they had hatched a plan under which, immediately after their election, they would oust Vasileios Stigas and appoint Charalambos Katsivardas—who is fully controlled by Ilias Kasidiaris—as the new party leader.
Furthermore, they would have received the state subsidy, of which the Spartans Party had already received approximately 40,000 euros. In other words, the aforementioned individuals effectively offered the Spartans Party as a front for a new political party to Ilias Kasidiaris, thereby enabling him to circumvent the eligibility restrictions set forth in electoral law, specifically Article 32 of Presidential Decree 26/2012, as amended following the replacement of paragraph 1 by Article 102 of Law 5019/2023 and its further amendment by Article 35 of Law 5043/2023.
Specifically, Ilias Kasidiaris was convicted in the first instance by Decision No. 2644 of 2020 of the First Three-Member Court of Appeals of Athens for membership in and leadership of the criminal organization «People’s Association—Golden Dawn,» etc., and is the founder of the «National Party of the Greeks,» which was barred from participating in both the national elections of May 21, 2023, pursuant to Decision 8/2023 of the First Chamber of the Supreme Court, due to the party’s failure to cumulatively meet the requirements of Article 32(1) of Presidential Decree 26/2012, as currently in force, as well as pursuant to Decision 95/2023 of Section A1 of the Supreme Court in the local elections of June 25, 2023, in which he fraudulently attempted to participate as a falsely named coalition of collaborating candidates under the name «Greeks for the Homeland and Freedom,» whose actual leader was Ilias Kasidiaris.
In fact, according to the findings of the aforementioned Supreme Court decisions, Ilias Kasidiaris «has not ceased to be the de facto leader of the «National Party of the Greeks,» which is the successor to Golden Dawn, nor has he ever condemned or renounced—even in the slightest—the hate speech and its violent and racist actions, carried out within the criminal apparatus of the aforementioned party, which subverted the institutional mechanisms of the Greek State, the intended policy of dismantling the democratic institutions of the rule of law, and the rejection of the rights and freedoms recognized by democracy.» »For violation of Articles 1, 14, 23(1)(a), 27(1), and 45 of the Penal Code and Article 112(2) of Presidential Decree 26/2012, as currently in force.”.
Pan. Tsiboukis
