The move of the country’s financial crime prosecution, according to Greek media, opens the way for potential criminal charges against the very witnesses who helped expose the scandal.

The two whistleblowers, previously known by the pseudonyms Aikaterini Kelesi and Maximos Saraphis, have now been identified as Maria Marangeli and Philistor Destempasides. Marangeli, a former secretary to the Novartis CEO in Greece, became a protected witness in 2017, while Destempasides, a former Novartis manager, joined the following year.

The decision to lift their anonymity was made possible by a legislative amendment to Greece’s criminal law that came into force on May 1, which grants prosecutors discretion to disclose witness identities, legal news outlet Dikastiko.gr reported.

The development comes four years after Novartis admitted to violating the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits bribery of foreign officials. The Swiss pharmaceutical giant paid $347 million to settle charges with U.S. authorities over alleged bribes to Greek officials aimed at boosting sales, including influencing drug pricing globally. These practices may have cost Greek taxpayers an estimated 3 billion euros ($3.25 billion) between 2000 and 2015, a period that overlapped with the country’s financial crisis.

Rather than launching a thorough investigation into the Novartis case, the Greek government targeted prosecutors and journalists who uncovered evidence of bribes to politicians and healthcare...

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