The return of Kyriakos Mitsotakis from Brussels to the Mansion House at noon today resulted in the start of meetings on the management of the OPEKEPE case, which is causing intense internal turmoil and involving government ministers and deputy ministers. Asked yesterday after the summit, Mitsotakis said he would announce decisions as soon as he makes them, which is expected to be closer.

In the Maximos Mansion, there is dissatisfaction with the deputy ministers mentioned in the dossier, who appear to be talking to OPEKEPE officials about various cases (Christos Boukoros, Dionysis Stamenitis, Christos Kellas, Tasos Hadjivassiliou). Mitsotakis reportedly has on the table suggestions from his associates for “carve-outs, though other government sources acknowledge that not all cases are the same and the dialogues are not objectionable to the same degree. But it remains to be seen where the billions will sit and whether Mitsotakis’ initiatives will manifest themselves immediately-even today-or early next week, before Monday’s cabinet meeting.

As for the criminal responsibility of the named former ministersMakis Voridis and Lefteris Avgenakis, government sources acknowledge that the evidence is extremely weak. In this light, the scenario of referring them to a Primary Investigation Commission is considered unlikely. On the contrary, a Commission of Inquiry cannot be avoided and is not something that the Makximou Mansion would want, if the opposition parties agree, as it can only be set up with the votes of 120 MPs.

However, a political question has been raised about Mr. Voridis by competent sources, which Mr. Mitsotakis is also being asked to answer. “Even if he has no criminal responsibility, and we agree on this, is there no political responsibility for what was happening at OPEKEPE?”, competent sources ask. For his part, Voridis has detailed arguments about his works and days as regards OPEKEPE when he was at the Ministry of Rural Development and insists to his interlocutors that the 2,800 pages of attachments do not show any illegal act attributed to him, nor does he appear to be talking to any government official.