We defend the freedom of speech - Porto Carras

EXPLANATION

On January 2004, 2 months before national elections, Mr. Tremopoulos, Gimos and Charalambidis, local councilors in Salonica and Chalkidiki revealed at the media a serious scandal:During the voting procedure of a law in the national parliament, Minister Mr. Pahtas had promoted an amendment that was “offering” a vast forest area to the Hotel of Porto Carras for tourist exploitation (bungalows etc).Immediately after the reveal of the amendment the whole opposition parties asked for investigation. The newly elected president of socialist responded asking the resign of the Minister and all the MP`s that had signed the amendment. They all resigned but till now some of them insist that they never undersigned anything and that their signatures were false.

Scandal of Porto Carras has been the major media subject during the period before the elections because it has proven the relation between specific economical interests and state corruption.Mr. Pahtas insisted that the exploitation of public forest from the specific enterprise would help the economy of the area, but the reaction of  all parties and specially the reaction of Mr. Papandreou proves that the amendment was totally illegal and scandalous.The award of the 3 local councilors for their courage to reveal the scandal is a new prosecution!Last week the 3 councilors were summoned to the court  in Athens on May 10^th to answer serious charges of slanderous defamation of Porto Carras S.A. companies.Mr. Steggos owner of Porto Carras accuses them that with their speeches they damaged his Hotel name. Practically it is an effort to terrorize citizens, councilors and journalists to remain silent to any illegality.

THE RESOLUTION  

The European Green party council, considers unfair the fact that the prefecture councilor and founder member of Ecological Movement of Thessalonica Michalis Tremopoulos is sent to court again by exactly the same circles that are responsible for the degradation of life quality and the environmental destruction of Greece.

It’s obvious that in 10^th of May, day that Michalis Tremopoulos is sent to court together with the majority councils of Sithonia, Taso Gimo and Stellio Charalambidi, after lawsuit of the owner of Porto Carras K. Steggo for slanderous defamation of his S.A. companies, the freedom of speech and the right of public control by the responsible citizens are judged.

Moreover, we Greens reject any accusation of members of the Local Authorities, when they express criticism in the context of their political duties. In this case, it is clear that such persons whose their only pursuit is the protection of life quality, of forests and the defense of public interest, have been chosen as targets.