Novartis suits by former ministers, PM are shelved

A prosecutor on Thursday shelved legal suits lodged against government officials and prosecutors by former prime minister Antonis Samaras, ex-finance minister Evangelos Venizelos and former health minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, now European migration commissioner, over bribery claims involving Swiss drugs firm Novartis.

The prosecutor's order was forwarded to Parliament by Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis a day before MPs are to vote on a committee report on the allegations.

The move prompted an angry reaction from the politicians involved.

Venizelos accused Kontonis of lacking "any sense of what is legal."