Senior judicial officials to be tasked with expediting Novartis probe

Supreme Court prosecutor Vassilis Pliotas has called for the convening of a plenary of the Athens Court of Appeals so that the investigation into the politically charged Novartis case can be referred to an investigating judge at the highest level.
It is expected that the move will lead to the appointment of appeals court investigating magistrates who will be tasked with expediting the probe that began as an investigation into the alleged bribery of Greek politicians by Swiss pharmaceuticals firm Novartis which has evolved into an investigation of the judicial handling of the original probe.