Novartis

There can be no doubt that the Novartis scandal is real. It is international and is being investigated in various countries, especially in the US, and it involves bribes paid to doctors, researchers, and clinical labs.

The involvement of politicians, if it is true, is not the main issue, at least based on the exceptionally strict probe by US authorities.

A section of the case file on the alleged Novartis bribery scandal that prosecutors forwarded to Parliament to request that the immunity of former health minister Andreas Loverdos be lifted includes testimony by protected witnesses who claim that the politician was bribed to inform the company of an imminent haircut on Greek state bonds at the peak of the debt crisis.

It was no surprise that the investigation into the Novartis case has yielded its first results during a pre-election period. Regardless of what one may think about this concurrence, it cannot be denied that the political timing mandates that the investigation be wrapped up as soon as possible. 

The cases against most of the politicians implicated in the alleged Novartis bribery scandal will be shelved next week due to a lack of evidence, according to judicial sources on Tuesday.

For how long can politics and the country be trapped in scandal-mongering?

After more than 14 months of incriminating leaks, "activism" by ministers in the corridors of the Greek judicial system, mock "trials" in Parliament and public calls for the incarceration of suspects, no charges have been pressed against anyone over the so-called "biggest scandal since the establishment of the Greek state" - the probe into the practices of Swiss drugmaker Novartis.

The chief of the Anti-Corruption General Secretariat, Anastasia Xepapadea, has denied one more allegation of many over the last days - that she has a seat on the Board of a family business which may constitute a conflict of interest.

New Democracy has called on the government to fire her.

Opposition New Democracy on Tuesday accused the leftist-led government of fabricating the alleged Novartis bribery scandal to divert the public's attention from the controversial name deal signed last year with North Macedonia.

The affair that a SYRIZA minister had described as "the biggest scandal since the establishment of the Greek state" is turning into a political fiasco.

The case was closed for lack of evidence for four of the ten politicians who were targeted and probed. The same is expected to happen for another five.

Greek corruption prosecutors on Monday shelved a large part of the case regarding the alleged bribery scandal involving Swiss pharmaceutical firm Novartis and 10 senior Greek politicians.