To vote in favor of his referral to a special pre -trial investigation committee by supporting her proposal New Democracy invited all the members of the National Delegation. Costas Ah. Karamanlis At the same time, “I know that I am innocent and looking forward to the judgment of justice to learn all of Greece.”
The former Minister of Infrastructure and Transport by intervening in the discussion held at Plenary session her Parliament On the proposals for setting up a pre -trial committee for Tempi, he initially said “I tell you from the beginning that I support her proposal wholeheartedly New Democracy to set up a preliminary committee. And so do my fellow Members to do too “while closing his speech he reiterated” I would like to personally ask everyone and my colleague to vote in favor of the New Democracy proposal, even those who consider my references unfair. I’m not going to hide behind any immunity or government majority. “
See Mr. Karamanlis’ speech:
He said elsewhere that he wishes to be judged by the natural judge. “I put myself before the judgment of justice. Not only because I do not want any suspicion that I am looking for a political shield in the parliamentary majority of my party. But because I have complete respect for the memory of those lost in Tempi, “he said,” I know that I am innocent and look forward to the judgment of justice so that all of Greece can learn it. “
“I reinforced OSE with 417 jobs and almost 400 million euros”
The former minister also referred to the essence of the proposals made by opposition parties, saying, among other things, “When the opposition calls for my criminal prosecution I feel the need to defend myself. I will say some truths – that illuminate and inaccuracies in the opposition proposals. “
Mr. Karamanlis referring to his case file Investigator which has reached the House noted: “Within the tens of thousands of pages of the case file, my face are measured 2 reports without evaluation or judgment by the investigator. Reports concerning 2 letters I received from ministry officials and raise – among other things – issues related to OSE staff and funding. “
At the same time he emphasized: “Within the permitted frameworks I have reinforced OSE with 417 jobs and nearly 400 million euros.” And from this point citing information and submitting documents, he spoke of the minimum truths about the Tempe tragedy.
“Really first: The accident didn’t happen because we didn’t look for staff”
Mr. Karamanlis, referring to his staff issue Oste, As put forward in the service notes, he said: “In September 2021, the need for 290 recruitment was recorded in the well -known service note of the then General Transport General Manager. Exhaling every legal procedure I launched OSE, 417 new recruitments for the coming years, through ASEP And with a fixed -term recruitment. “
He also said that “in November 21 – 2 months after I received the letter – we asked for 293 people. Two acts of cabinet certify the above recruitment. Knowing the ASEP slow -wise procedures, 200 people under a fixed -term contract were immediately hired. Because even to date, 217 recruitments through ASEP- though they have been launched- have not been completed in their entirety. “
The former minister referred not only to the under -staffing, but also to the OSE underfunding that shaped a situation received by the ND government and clarified: “As a minister I did not deaf, as they accuse me. I did not indifferent to calls and letters for the years of OSE and Railway. I have tried, with my partners, to deal with the consequences of abandoning the railway for over 10 years. ” Recording his own actions, he said that “the funds that were channeled to OSE in the four-year period 2019-2023 were a total of approximately 400 million euros. In Greece in the Memorandum, the OSE ceiling was 45 million euros per year. We increased funding to 75 million euros, with the approval of the European Commission at the end of 2022 to enter the budget of 2023. The annual grant could not increase before 2022, due to the medium -term plan voted on SYRIZA in 2015 and 2018. “
He also recalled that in the period 2015-19 SYRIZA the support of OSE from the Public Investment Program was just over 12m euros. He added, “Since the second half of 2019, with a ND government, the grant has been fifty to 60 million euros”. At the same time, as the former minister said, debt write -offs were made from the 1980s, renovating the company’s financial position, which joined the march and sectoral investment program, as well as the European Recovery Fund.
“True Tuesday: The accident was not done because we were indifferent to the safety of the train”
Mr. Karamanlis referred to the issue of the competence of Ras Railway Issues, noting: “The European Commission has since requested that the National Security Authority be made. And this requirement was implemented by Law 4199/2013 which defines the Ras as the only national security authority for railways. “
“Security control was removed by the Ministry of Transport in 2013 – but in 2023 everyone was seeking responsibility from the Minister. Why? Because the lie was much more convenient than the harsh truths that the political world owes to the Greek people, “he said.
Regarding the opposition’s objections that he did not close the railway, he said “no one asked for the rail to be closed, neither the trade unions, nor the Ras” and commented that even if it was a padlock “it would be illegal”.
He even submitted documents that “OSE and Hellenic Train were fully and competently certified on the day the accident took place. And their security certificates remain in force today. “
As the former minister explained, the Ras “had granted a security certificate to the OSE for five years, that is, until 2026 and even without any restriction or observation”, while Hellenic Train “had received a security certificate from the European Railway Authority, ERA, on the 6th of February. Certificate without restrictions, also with a five -year duration. “
He said “automatic management systems help prevent the accident” he noted: “But their lack does not cause accidents in itself.” After all, as he said, if he said, “then in all parts of the railway, where traffic was made and still without automatic systems, there would be constant accidents.” He even clarified that “when the Tempi accident occurred, such automated systems as ERTMS operated in 14% of the basic European rail network.”
As Mr Karamanlis said: “It is the compliance with the General Traffic Regulation that prevents accidents. He was violated multiple the night of the accident of the Temps. The regulation provides for trains without a signaling and telephone system. And defines the procedures that should be applied in this case. Procedures that have been violated many times on the tragic night of the Tempi crash. If the General Rules of Procedure is kept, then the rail traffic is safe and without the automatic systems. ” He reminded that “the General Traffic Regulation was updated in 2019 under SYRIZA”.
“If the contract was canceled 717, the delay would be much greater”
Referring to her categories opposition To not complete the Convention 717, Mr. Karamanlis noted: “Of course we wanted the automatic security systems on the country’s railways. That is why we proceeded decisively after 2019 the contracts to complete these systems. Contracts pending for decades. “
“If the contract had been canceled, the delay would be much greater. So is the damage of the Greek State. This is what common sense says. We gave extensions as did the SYRIZA government that gave much more. There was no other solution, “he said.
K. Karamanlis emphasized that he made the decision to complete Convention 717, as the Court of Auditors had also ruled all extensions legal and emphasized: “In February 2023, despite the many problems of the pandemic, Convention 717 had been implemented in its largest part and therefore.
Concluding his speech, Mr. Karamanlis referred to his immediate resignation, which he saw as self -evident for other countries, but without preceding the Greek political system in the years of the Transfiguration. At the same time, he emphasized: “As an elected ND MP in Serres I was in the judgment of voters in the 2023 elections. I did not hide. And this is self -evident in a parliamentary democracy. “
Finally, he criticized the political exploitation of the Tempe tragedy by the opposition, which, he said: “It has reached such a low point where you accuse and target anyone who is approaching me. My compatriots because they voted for me. Colleagues because they dared to applaud me. You have come to question the ethics, not only my own but also of our entire historical faction, the lineup of Constantine Karamanlis. ”