«The Eleni Touloupaki is the most famous prosecutor in Greece. The 57-year-old was considered an avowed fighter against corruption and investigated some of the largest financial cases in Greek courts.» Thus he introduces the former head of the Corruption Prosecutor's Office who associated her name with the Novartis pharmaceutical scandal, the Mirror, «A scandal that shook the Greek system», with the pharmaceutical industry being accused of «millions of euros in bribes to politicians, civil servants and hospital workers in order to keep prices artificially high and gain better access to the Greek market».
As Spiegel observes, «after the Conservative government took office in the summer of 2019, the direction of the inquiry changed. Suddenly the accusers became the accused».
Referring to her tenure as Corruption Prosecutor and the investigation of the Novartis case, Eleni Touloupaki stresses: «We also looked into the involvement of politicians. The case could in the future serve as a reference for universities on the international implications of corruption.» Asked about the reasons why the investigation was stopped with the change of government in 2019, Eleni Touloupaki answers: «Our research came into conflict with the powerful political interests of the country. Those involved joined forces to stop the investigation and to punish me and my colleagues from the prosecution and journalists who investigated the case in an exemplary manner. Their aim is to get the message across that they are intact. If these interests prevail, it will mean the end of the rule of law in Greece».
Eleni Touloupaki responds, among others, to those who accuse her of «participation in a criminal organisation», which aimed to exert pressure on politicians to serve the interests of Novartis. «I served faithfully in the judiciary for 22 years. I have never been susceptible to political pressure. I have never thought in terms of political expediency. No politician has influenced us,» he replies.
Elsewhere, she notes of the charges and proceedings against her: «The prosecutor who brought the charges against me said it was based only on the findings of a parliamentary committee controlled by the government majority. There were some violations of the rule of law that will certainly be condemned by the European Court of Human Rights.».
She was in Brussels last week to talk about her case. What is she seeking? «I am defending the reputation of the Greek justice system and my own honour, wherever and however I can. I draw attention to breaches of the rule of law in the EU because I consider the EU my extended homeland. The question is not what I expect, but how the EU institutions will meet the expectations of European citizens.» He concludes, he tells Spiegel: «The development of the case will be the touchstone for the Greek institutions. It is certain that people who did their job, who did their duty, are now being persecuted by illegal and invalid methods. Since its inception, Greece has been a country where corruption thrives unchecked.»
