After court finds two former protected witnesses in the Novartis case guilty of false accusation and false testimony against several politicians, former prime minister demands to know who 'orchestrated the conspiracy'.

A court in Greece on Monday found two former protected witnesses – who claimed ten politicians were bribed by the Swiss global healthcare company Novartis, including two former prime ministers – guilty of false accusation and repeated false testimony.

Philistor Destempasides was convicted of making false accusations in 2017 and 2018 against former ministers Adonis Georgiadis, Andreas Loverdos and Nikos Maniadakis and handed a prison sentence of 25 months, suspended for three years.

Maria Marangeli was convicted of falsely accusing five politicians and public figures: Adonis Georgiadis, Yannis Stournaras, Andreas Loverdos, Marios Salmas and former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. She was handed a prison sentence of 33 months with a three-year suspension.

Investigations into the witnesses’ claims did not result in any charges being brought, after which the politicians in question filed legal complaints, claiming they were victims of a politically driven conspiracy.

“Justice requires not only the punishment of the physical perpetrators [of the claims] but also the revelation of those who directed and orchestrated the Novartis conspiracy as moral instigators!” Samaras wrote on X on hearing the verdict.

Meanwhile, the defendants were acquitted of falsely accusing...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxOYXh0ZnBvWnFYeFJiR1VWVFVu...