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Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-04-28Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PM: Values, principles will be upheld; Minister resignsPrime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Saturday announced the replacement of embattled Employment and Social Protection Minister Savvas Tsitouridis -- who was at the centre of an ongoing furor regarding mismanagement of state-run pension funds' reserves -- following a latest high-profile press report that a close ministry aide is being investigated for his role during the 1999-2000 stock market 'bubble'."My decision is to not tolerate any actions or behaviours that harm the country or its citizens ... we are continuing on the basis of our principles and values," Karamanlis said during a televised appearance at his Maximos Mansion office. Less than an hour later, the prime minister's office announced that ruling New Democracy (ND) parliamentary spokesman Vassilis Magginas, a long-time parliamentarian that also served as the party's spokesman in the mid 1990s, will be sworn in on Sunday to replace Tsitouridis. A two-hour meeting preceded the announcement of Tsitouridis' resignation on Saturday. A same-day report in the Athens daily "Kathimerini" revealed that the employment ministry's general secretary, Evgenios Papadopoulos, is the object of a judicial investigation due to his representation of an off-shore company allegedly involved in shady stock market transactions during the 1999-2000. Saturday's article was the latest in an avalanche of press scrutiny that also focused on Tsitouridis himself, in the wake of a controversial deal, and related financial terms, approved by the civil servants' supplementary fund to purchase a structured bond. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Karamanlis. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |