Developments in the much touted – even by the prime minister – contraband gold trading case are beyond logic.
Despite after-the-fact damage control efforts, one is witnessing an unprecedented fiasco that exposes both Greek Police and the judiciary. It is obvious that certain people pressured authorities to be exceedingly zealous in order to present to public opinion a huge scandal which, however, appears to be legally ungrounded.
After an investigation over many months with surveillance and many conferences, it is outrageous that not even one of the people handling the case saw fit to ask a customs officer or the competent authorities about the legal framework of the case. It is not to the credit of the competent ministry or judicial authorities that they did ascertain what can and cannot be done. Nor it is to their credit to engage in mutual recriminations.
Their responsibilities are even greater if they had been informed of the lacunae in the judicial file, as To Vima’s report revealed.
A case which was announced with pomp and ceremony by the PM in parliament and evolved in a tragic manner for both the judiciary and police seriously undermines their authority and the trust of citizens in them and highlights their incompetence.
Beyond the issues of legality and the rule of law, the egregious errors and omissions of those responsible will very like lead to those truly responsible for the scandal not being punished.
Clearly, the eagerness of the government is part of tactic of instrumentalising the judiciary and exploiting any kind of alleged scandal.
That approach has produced one fiasco after another, and yet those in power refuse to restrain themselves and to learn from their mistakes.
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