Nikos Pappas, a member of the European Parliament of SYRIZA, is accused of beating a Greek journalist, who is wanted in the framework of the auto-custody.
News24/7 journalist Nikos Giannopoulos complains that he was attacked by the MEP while he was on a journalistic mission in Strasbourg.
The incident, according to the same complaint, occurred in a bar in Strasbourg, where the mission's journalists had gone, on Tuesday night at around 23:30 local time.
As the website reports, «the journalist started to leave with a colleague to head to the hotel where they are staying.
The MEP of SYRIZA, as the journalist was passing by him and without anything having happened before, he tripped him... Nikos Giannopoulos, surprised, asked him to speak, saying «don't touch me again».
The MEP then told N. Giannopoulos to «come out and settle accounts».
The journalist continued to leave the bar and when he reached the door that connects the bar to a catering shop, he felt two strong punches to the head from behind, causing him to fall into the corridor between the two shops.
Nikos Giannopoulos, as he complains, despite the shock and pain (because let's not forget that we are talking about a blow from a former athlete of 1.97 m height), addressed him shouting «what are you doing there?You are an active MEP».
«How can I not hit you the way you are?» was the MEP's response.
Nikos Giannopoulos returned to the bar beaten to inform his fellow journalists that he had been attacked by MEP Nikos Pappas.
Then they all came out of the bar (the vice, journalists and N. Pappas and his associates). Nikos Pappas made derogatory comments against the victim with the journalist walking away with a colleague and returning to his hotel.
After midnight Nikos Giannopoulos, as he says, received continuous calls on his mobile phone from the phone of MEP Nikos Pappas, as well as two messages on Whatsapp, which he never replied to.
Today, December 17th, Nikos Giannopoulos filed a complaint with the Alsace police command based in Strasbourg and described the incident in detail to the police officer who took his statement.
The MEP is accused of violence by a representative in an institutional role in a calm state of mind. Nikos Pappas is now wanted in the context of the auto-court, which is not covered by his immunity.
Deleted from SYRIZA
The president of SYRIZA-PS, Socrates Famellos, suspended Nikos Pappas from the European group of SYRIZA-PS for his unacceptable behaviour.
At the same time, he immediately asks the ethics committee to remove him from SYRIZA-PS.
Socrates Famellos has already informed the head of the Eurogroup, MEP Costas Arvanitis, about his decision.
P. Marinakis: «He had to take action to force SYRIZA to erase him».
Regarding the controversial incident, Pavlos Marinakis issued a statement stressing that:
«Last night, SYRIZA MEP Nikos Pappas punched the journalist Nikos Giannopoulos, after insulting him vulgarly.
This incident follows previous disparaging and aggressive behaviour by this MEP, with many different victims, for which his party has followed the tactics of silence and political cover-up.
He had to be manhandled to force Syriza to delete him.
But now it is too late for tears.
In any case, the fact that for such a long time they have kept a man with such recurring behaviour in their party is further proof that those who pretend to be the preachers of morality and the defenders of the rule of law are in fact the biggest hypocrites.».
