Liberal Alliance press release 20 December 2007 

Liberal Alliance refers to press stories (Sueddeutsche Ζeitung,December 18, 2007) revealing investigations carried out by the German Authorities, regarding alleged bribes of SIEMENS to Greek Political Parties and managers of the Greek Telecommunications Organisation (OTE). According to this preliminary information, SIEMENS was 'covertly supporting' both PASOK and New Democracy in order to ensure the company's favourable position whichever big party happened to be in power

Liberal Alliance considers this matter of greatest importance affecting the very function of democracy in Greece and call for the Greek Justice authorities to cooperate fully with the prosecutors in Munich so that both the bribing businessmen and the bribed politicians and members of the OTE will be revealed and face criminal prosecution.

Beyond the criminal aspect of this matter, Liberal Alliance considers that these revelations pause a serious question about the real motives of all these politicians and union leaders who defend state control over OTE. The revelations also bring into question the motives of recent decision by the Greek Government to forbid to private investors to acquire more than 20% of the companies of 'national strategic importance' so that the state control will not be in jeopardy.

Liberal Alliance responded immediately to this decision, notifying the matter to the European Union's Competition Commissioner and asking for his intervention, and submitting that the government control over OTE and other Public Services Organizations, perpetuate the intra-party greed and the unpunished loot of their assets from known special interests.

One week after the Liberal Alliance has notified the EU Competition Commisioner, the recent press information from Germany confirms this sad state of affairs.