The parliamentary investigative committee examining OPEKEPE decided by majority vote to refer Zoe Konstantopoulou to the Ethics Committee for anti-parliamentary conduct, following a new fierce incident caused by the leader of the Course of Freedom party.

According to New Democracy (ND) sources, Ms. Konstantopoulou crossed every line. They added that “without a trace of shame, she called ND MPs ‘insecure individuals,’ while addressing Nikolaos Vlachakos, MP and brother of the Imia hero, she urged him to ‘concern himself with the truth about Imia.’”

ND rapporteur Makarios Lazaridis said it was unacceptable for such an insult to be voiced just days before the 30th anniversary of the Imia crisis. “It was an insult to the hero and a clear act of anti-national behavior,” he stated, while also recalling several of the many incidents of tension provoked by Ms. Konstantopoulou during the committee’s proceedings, including a sexist attack against Vice President Maria Syregela, to whom she had said, “Don’t get so excited—you might tear your stockings.”

Vlahakos: Some tear their clothes in outrage, but they do not know what I know about Imia

Responding to Ms. Konstantopoulou, Mr. Vlachakos said:
“The statement by Ms. Konstantopoulou was completely unnecessary and ill-timed. The discussion I was having at that moment with Mr. Aktypis and Ms. Konstantopoulou was purely political. For her to then turn toward me and say, at this particular time, that I should search for the truth is something that offends me, because neither she nor others who have been tearing their clothes in outrage for 30 years know what I know. No one can know what I know about my brother’s death.”

From the side of the Course of Freedom party, Mr. Alexandros Kazamias described the process as unacceptable and biased, while hastening to clarify to Mr. Vlachakos:
“I want to assure you that there was no insult intended. We honor the memory of his brother, and I do not want there to be any misunderstanding on this matter.”