Olga Gerovassili has raised the issue of expelling Stefanos Kasselakis from SYRIZA, urging for an immediate meeting of the party’s Central Committee.
During the meeting of the Political Secretariat, Gerovassili emphasized that Kasselakis’ behavior and recent actions—particularly the legal notice he sent to members of the Political Secretariat and the Central Committee regarding the leak of his financial disclosures—undermine the party’s unity.
Her proposal comes at a critical time for SYRIZA, amidst internal tensions and debates over the party’s future direction.
The Political Secretariat meeting is currently underway, and sources indicate that the stances of key figures, including Pavlos Polakis and Nikos Papadakis, will be crucial for the upcoming developments.
The Legal Notice from Stefanos Kasselakis
Earlier today, Stefanos Kasselakis sent a legal notice to the Political Secretariat and the Central Committee of SYRIZA regarding the leak of his financial disclosures. These disclosures were submitted to the party as part of the confirmation process for his candidacy for party president.
In the legal notice, which he signed individually as “President of SYRIZA,” Kasselakis stated, “Although I have nothing to hide, this is a very serious and selective leak that occurred at an unlawful time. No other candidate’s financial disclosures appear to have been leaked before they were checked and approved. Since the leak came from SYRIZA, I declare that I will resort to every legal means to protect my identity, both as an individual and as President of SYRIZA, as well as to uphold the reputation of SYRIZA and the dignity of its thousands of members.”
He further called on the appropriate bodies of SYRIZA to conduct an immediate and urgent investigation into the premature and selective leak. “If not, I will be forced to request that the same investigation be legally assigned to the competent prosecutorial and judicial authorities,” he emphasized.
“There is no evidence or trace of a leak,” say SYRIZA sources
SYRIZA sources stated that there is no evidence or indication of a leak from the party to any party. They also noted that the publication of documents will take place in an institutional and orderly manner through the party’s official website.
Read the full legal notice from Stefanos Kasselakis:
Reports indicate that the decision of the recent Central Committee meeting held on October 5, 2024, did not mention him for the first time as removed, but referred to a loss of confidence in the President.
“The Extraordinary Congress is convening on November 8-9-10, 2024, according to the Statute, as a consequence of the loss of confidence in the president by the Central Committee. Therefore, the sole purpose of the Extraordinary Congress is to approve the candidacies for the presidency and the political decision document,” it was stated.
Timeline of Events
It all began with an article from “Efsyn” that prompted a strong reaction from Kasselakis’s side. His office director, Manolis Kapnisakis, revealed that Kasselakis is seriously considering legal action and is also requesting the resignation of the party secretary, Rania Svigkou.
“Stefanos Kasselakis is now forced to seriously consider taking legal action to protect his rights. Moreover, the fact that the leak occurred on the same day as the meeting of the Political Secretariat is not a coincidence,” was emphasized in Kapnisakis’s statement.
The party expressed that there is no evidence of any leak, pointing out that Kasselakis’s file has not yet been opened, suggesting instead that the leak originated from Kasselakis’s environment.
The announcement from Kasselakis’s office director states:
“It is unacceptable and condemnable that the presidency of the Central Committee of SYRIZA violated the personal data of Stefanos Kasselakis by disclosing information regarding his financial disclosures. Such a leak, beyond its ethical implications, raises serious questions about the protection of personal data and transparency, values that the party is supposed to uphold.
We demand the immediate resignation of the party secretary, Rania Svigkou, who bears the main responsibility for ensuring the protection of the personal data of candidates.
Stefanos Kasselakis is currently forced to seriously consider taking legal action to protect his rights. Furthermore, the fact that the leak occurred on the same day as the meeting of the Political Secretariat is not a coincidence…
Stefanos Kasselakis submitted his financial disclosure for the period ending September 24, 2023 (the date he assumed the presidency of SYRIZA), while all other candidates submitted or will submit disclosures for the year 2021, as the platform for the electronic submission of financial disclosures for subsequent years remains closed for all obligated individuals.
Tyler Macbeth, while not legally obligated as he had not married Kasselakis as of September 2023, still submitted an initial financial disclosure. Should it be requested by anyone with a legitimate interest, it will be provided, with the risk of it being unlawfully leaked as well.
Given the information included in Stefanos Kasselakis’s financial disclosure is accurate, truthful, and fully documented by numerous documents, we would advise those who “invested” in the pre-election narrative of New Democracy regarding financial disclosures to reconsider their stance, as they are compromising themselves irreparably.”
No file has been opened for Kasselakis, say sources from Koumundourou – They point to Kasselakis’s environment for the leak
Sources from Koumundourou subsequently indicated that Kasselakis’s side was responsible for the leak of his financial disclosures, asserting that his candidacy file, which includes 87 signatures and the financial disclosure, has not yet been opened by the party.
As reported by protothema.gr, this was expected to happen in today’s meeting of the Political Secretariat, which is scheduled to review the current candidacies shortly.
Officials aligned with the new majority commented that “any legal action taken by Stefanos Kasselakis cannot concern the party,” following the statement from his director, Manolis Kapnisakis.
Ms. Takri officially submitted Mr. Kasselakis’s candidacy along with the accompanying file of signatures and the financial disclosure, this implies acceptance of the terms of the process, meaning the procedure from printing to the publication of Mr. Kasselakis’s financial disclosures on October 24, the deadline for candidacies, as party sources explain.
Efsyn on Kasselakis: Ambiguity in Financial Disclosures – Gray Areas and Differences with the Thessaloniki Excel Sheet
The newspaper “Efsyn” raised questions and gray areas regarding Stefanos Kasselakis’s financial disclosure.
The article, which refers to a “presidential candidate with significant assets but without clear financial disclosures,” mentions a 15-page document that is a “continuation and photocopy” of what was submitted to Parliament on June 30, questioning why, despite having submitted financial disclosures on June 30, he did not immediately counterattack by publicly sharing his assets.
The newspaper also wonders, “Are the photocopies sent to Koumundourou the complete pages of the corresponding statement submitted to Parliament?”
“From the photocopies we collected regarding the 15-page photocopied document he submitted, another question arises: Is the financial situation of his spouse included in the document sent to Koumundourou or not?” continues the Efsyn article.
According to the report, “there are no details available for him, although the Excel sheet from Thessaloniki contains information about Tyler Macbeth’s assets.”
Efsyn claims that Kasselakis informed his party that his income as of December 31, 2023, was $1.7 million. “The critical question is whether the sources of income are specified in the disclosure or if tables are simply presented (as in the Thessaloniki Excel),” the article notes.
These amounts should also include an income of $70,000 from rentals, and three shares in funds valued at $330,000, $1.05 million, and $2.4 million, respectively.
Stefanos Kasselakis is reportedly declaring a $500,000 stake in the single-member company Osios and a stake in the limited partnership Pura Vita with a capital of €15,000.
In terms of deposits, the Efsyn report states that Stefanos Kasselakis has:
- A €25,000 account at JP Morgan
- An account with his mother totaling €27,000 at the National Bank
Regarding the properties of the former SYRIZA president, the report mentions:
- A 470 sqm plot in Spetses with a 290 sqm house
- An apartment in Neos Kosmos measuring 106 sqm
- A 55-acre plot in New York State with a building of 360 sqm on it
- A $1.6 million mortgage for property purchased on March 9, 2022, in the USA
Additionally, Stefanos Kasselakis is reported to have declared:
- Credit card debts totaling $5,600
- A vehicle acquired in the USA with a loan of $80,000
- A five-year-old vehicle purchased in Greece for €110,000, of which $100,000 is financed by a loan
Discrepancies with the Thessaloniki Excel Sheet
Efsyn notes that there are discrepancies about what was presented in Thessaloniki, as:
- In Thessaloniki, he reported income of $2.067 million from salary services and real estate, while in the financial disclosure submitted to SYRIZA, the corresponding amount is €1.8 million.
- In Thessaloniki, he reported $21,000 in deposits at JP Morgan, while in the financial disclosure to SYRIZA, it is $4,000 more.
- There is no mention in Thessaloniki of the joint account with his mother, but only two accounts belonging to his spouse of negligible value.
Comment from Moraitis
The publication of the financial disclosure submitted to SYRIZA elicited a reaction from Nikos Moraitis, who, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), referred to a “party in turmoil.”
“Kasselakis’s financial disclosure was submitted on Saturday to the coup plotters so he could be a candidate. And instead of keeping it and posting it alongside the other candidates as they stated they would, they give it to Efsyn. And Efsyn publishes it. A party in turmoil.”
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