Androulakis files lawsuit against Georgiadis for defamation and insult

PASOK–Movement for Change leader PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis is taking his clash with Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis to court, filing a lawsuit for defamation and insult. The minister responded to the legal action. is filing a lawsuit against Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis before the Athens Misdemeanor Prosecutor, accusing him of defamation and insult.

According to information from Harilaou Trikoupi, the move concerns public statements, posts, and remarks made by the Health Minister, through which, PASOK claims, false and defamatory allegations were repeatedly spread against the leader of the official opposition.

PASOK stressed that the matter is not about a personal dispute between two political figures, but rather “the deliberate dissemination of false and defamatory claims by a government minister,” aimed — as stated — at tarnishing Nikos Androulakis and creating the image of a “scandal” without any real basis.

Harilaou Trikoupi accuses Adonis Georgiadis of publicly claiming that there had been a “tailor-made” tender process for a property leased to the Hellenic Cadastre, that the property was selected due to political favoritism, and that the PASOK president received excessive sums from the Greek state amounting to €1.2 to €1.5 million, allegedly ending up in foreign bank accounts.

At the same time, it is noted that the Health Minister publicly used the phrase that taxpayers “renovated a wreck with the Greek people’s money.”

In its statement, the party presented detailed information regarding the property case:

• The property in question was leased to the Hellenic Cadastre on April 20, 2010, following an open and transparent tender process involving eight bids.
• The tender specifications had been determined during the New Democracy government under Kostas Karamanlis, and both the tender procedure and bid evaluation had already taken place.
• Nikos Androulakis did not participate in the 2009 tender process; his parents were the lessors and collected the rental payments.
• Nikos Androulakis later acquired a minority co-ownership stake in the property. Specifically, he received 10% ownership in 2011 and another 10% in 2013. Consequently, he received 20% of the rent corresponding to his ownership rights, and only from 2013 onward.
• The total actual income received by Nikos Androulakis bears no relation to the false figures of €1.2 to €1.5 million attributed to him by Mr. Georgiadis.
• He never transferred rental income abroad. Deposits in foreign accounts originated from his salary during his term in the European Parliament, as shown in asset declaration statements over many years.
• The property was not renovated using public funds; rather, under the lease agreement, his parents were obliged to carry out a series of works requested by the tenant, all described in detail in the contract.

Harilaou Trikoupi argues that when a minister publicly presents as “proven” facts claims he knows to be false, attempting to create impressions of corruption and illegal enrichment, then “the boundaries of political confrontation are crossed.”

“Democracy and public life cannot function through organized smear campaigns and fabricated ‘scandals,’” the announcement states.

PASOK maintains that Nikos Androulakis’ initiative aims “to set a clear limit on political vulgarity and slander against political opponents,” noting that the matter is now being brought before the courts so that the minister’s claims can be judged based on actual evidence.

Georgiadis to Androulakis: “We’ll Settle This in Court — You Picked the Wrong Person”

“We will settle this in court, because political criticism in the country that gave birth to Democracy will not be criminalized,” the Health Minister stated following the lawsuit for defamation and insult.

In a recorded statement, Mr. Georgiadis said: “I will request the lifting of my parliamentary immunity, we will go to court where I will be acquitted, and afterward I will file my own lawsuit for moral damages.”

“It is impossible for me to believe that any Greek court would convict a politician for political criticism directed at another politician,” Mr. Georgiadis added, while emphasizing: “If you want to accuse everyone else, then you must also tolerate accusations and criticism directed at you.”

“You are not infallible. Drop the style of being permanently angry, and if you think you can intimidate me with a lawsuit, you are greatly mistaken,” he said.

In his related social media post, Mr. Georgiadis also wrote: “Mr. Androulakis, you picked the wrong person.”