The two former protected witnesses in the Novartis case, known as Filistor Destempasidis and Maria Marangeli, will soon appear face-to-face with two prosecutors to provide explanations as suspects for alleged criminal actions. These allegations relate to the testimony they had previously given anonymously, in which they falsely implicated political figures as recipients of bribes from the pharmaceutical company, accusations that have since been proven unsubstantiated.

Specifically, “Maximos Sarafis” and “Aikaterini Kelesi” — the code names for Destempasidis and Marangeli while under witness protection — had implicated ten political figures in what became known as the “Novartis conspiracy.” However, none of their claims were substantiated, leading to the closure of all related case files.

Last week, nearly six years after the case was initiated by the then SYRIZA-ANEL government as “the greatest scandal since the establishment of the state,” a decision by the relevant prosecutorial authorities lifted the protection status of “Sarafis” and “Kelesi.” As a result, Destempasidis and Marangeli now face numerous lawsuits filed against them by the politicians they accused, with their real identities now disclosed.

The Athens Prosecutor’s Office has reopened the archived lawsuits against Filistor Destempasidis and Maria Marangeli, expediting the investigations to avoid potential statute limitations on offenses. The aim is for prosecutors to determine, based on the lawsuits, whether there is a basis for criminal charges against Destempasidis and Marangeli for offenses such as perjury, false testimony, and defamation.

Two public prosecutors have been assigned to handle the review of a total of 21 lawsuits from implicated political figures. The large number of lawsuits results from multiple complaints filed by each politician against “Kelesi” and “Sarafis” for implicating them in alleged bribes from the pharmaceutical company.

It should be noted that the former protected witnesses’ real identities were provided to the Prosecutor’s Office following the revocation of their protective measures by the Financial Prosecutor’s Office. Consequently, the Prosecutor’s Office has swiftly initiated the criminal review process, with Destempasidis and Marangeli expected to provide unsworn explanations as suspects in alleged criminal activities in the near future.