Athens, June 2, 2010
"Cabinet man" was officially translated into Greek as "member of the
Cabinet" by the Translation Service of the Greek Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
Opposition party claims that the correct translation should be "cabinet
maker" and that the translation of the Ministry was a "cheap trick".
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100006_02/06/2010_117433
Head of Siemens inquiry slips up
The future of PASOK MP Sifis Valyrakis, who is chairing the parliamentary
committee investigating the Siemens scandal, is in doubt after it emerged
that a leak about a note written by ex-Siemens Hellas CEO Michalis
Christoforakos, which suggested a bribe was paid to a former New Democracy
minister, appears to have been the result of a gross misunderstanding.
Valyrakis is thought to have been behind the leak, which appeared in the
press over the weekend and suggested that there was written confirmation of
Christoforakos paying money to a member of the Cabinet in the previous
conservative government.
However, the ND deputies on the committee said yesterday that Valyrakis had
made a huge mistake. They said that the handwritten note was in fact an
e-mail and that instead of relating to a member of the Cabinet, it actually
referred to a cabinetmaker. It appears that the message, which contained the
line "give the balance of the 50 percent deposit for the cabinet man" was
referring to a payment that Siemens made for some units that were being made
for the New York home of the managing director of Faran Laboratories
pharmaceutical group Marios Katsikas.
The businessman is due to face the parliamentary committee today in a bid to
clear up the situation but Valyrakis's role as head of the panel is already
being questioned.
"I have experienced these types of cheap tricks before and I know how to
spot them," said the head of the New Democracy MPs on the committee, Costas
Tzavaras. "We are dealing with a concerted effort to misinform people which
had the aim of harming the reputation of former ministers."
Valyrakis did not comment yesterday but sources said that some PASOK
deputies are unhappy with his handling of the situation.
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