A new round of confrontation over the Novartis scandal allegations unfolded between Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and independent MP Marios Salmas, with the two politicians exchanging accusations during separate interviews with journalist Giorgos Evgenidis on Alpha Radio 98.9.

The dispute centred around a photograph of a document posted by Georgiadis on his X (formerly Twitter) account, in which he alleged that Salmas had previously attempted to become a protected witness in the United States.

“I will sue him,” Salmas said, claiming that the document published by Georgiadis was fake and contained incorrect references both to his name and to the name of a lawyer who does not exist.

Salmas denied ever attempting to become a protected witness, insisting that the documents shared by Georgiadis were fabricated and included false information.

Επειδή ο κ. Σαλμάς είχε το θράσος να με απειλήσει και με μήνυση στηριζόμενος στην αλλοίωση των ονομάτων του εγγράφου που κατατέθηκε στο δικαστήριο από τον δικηγόρο της κας Μαραγγέλη από τις φωτό που είχα ανεβάσει, βρήκα το πρωί και ανεβάζω και τα αυθεντικά κείμενα μέσα από την… pic.twitter.com/T0M517S5Ku

— Άδωνις Γεωργιάδης (@AdonisGeorgiadi) July 24, 2026

The Health Minister, who requested to intervene after Salmas’ interview had concluded, responded that he had uploaded a new version of the document and explained that the alterations to the names were caused by an attempt to improve the document using artificial intelligence.

“Because they were not clear, I put them into ChatGPT to clean up the letters. It changed the names, and because he questioned it, I went to court this morning, obtained the original documents and published them. I asked ChatGPT to clean up the document and it made a mess of it. I did not expect him to challenge the document,” Georgiadis said.

Asked about Salmas’ announced lawsuit, Georgiadis replied:

“He cannot sue me. The document I presented on X was submitted to the court by Ms Maragkeli and her lawyer. Mr Salmas did not challenge it either at first or second instance. I obtained it from court records.”

Dispute over EOPYY fine

Salmas also referred to the lifting of his parliamentary immunity, which Parliament approved following a defamation lawsuit filed against him by Georgiadis.

“In an interview, I spoke for two minutes about healthcare and said that I know how hospital tenders are carried out,” Salmas said, repeating that he had not referred to any specific incident.

According to the independent MP, Georgiadis filed the lawsuit because he wanted to bring him into the spotlight.

Salmas also described as “a lie” Georgiadis’ claims that his mobile phone had been investigated.

“There was no lifting of confidentiality for the 10 politicians. Not even for Mr Georgiadis,” he added.

Georgiadis, meanwhile, raised questions over how a fine imposed by EOPYY (the National Organisation for Healthcare Services Provision) on Salmas’ diagnostic laboratory was cancelled during the SYRIZA government.

“EOPYY does not usually erase justified fines. This happened in 2019, one month before they left government. Doesn’t it seem strange that one month before leaving office, EOPYY decided to cancel a fine involving a New Democracy MP?” Georgiadis asked.

He accused Salmas of having benefited from the SYRIZA government and claimed that he had attempted to become a whistleblower but later became involved in what he described as the Novartis “conspiracy.”

Salmas responded that the case had originated from former SYRIZA minister Pavlos Polakis in 2016 and had been archived.

“SYRIZA and Polakis created it, EOPYY said there was no damage, and the prosecutors who requested the lifting of my immunity archived the case. What violation that never existed and what fine that never existed, based on the findings, is Mr Georgiadis talking about?” he asked.

According to Salmas, Georgiadis was referring to a case that had already been closed and was “adopting Polakis’ allegations.”

Dispute over US investigation into Novartis

Salmas also referred to Georgiadis’ alleged intervention with former Novartis executive Konstantinos Frouzis regarding advertising spending by the company on a website, insisting that the Novartis case should be reopened.

“Which Greek politicians knew from 2015 that US authorities were investigating allegations of improper practices by Novartis in Greece? Salmas and Georgiadis,” he claimed.

According to Salmas, the information had been provided by lawyer Pavlos Sarakis, who represented protected witnesses.

“Two Health Ministers learned that an investigation was taking place into a company’s improper practices in Greece. Georgiadis never disclosed it and contributed nothing to the investigation. Mr Georgiadis is vice president of New Democracy. Did he not inform the Prime Minister? Mitsotakis should answer whether he was informed or not,” Salmas said.

He added that he had informed the owner of a news website so that a journalistic investigation could begin in Greece.

Responding, Georgiadis accused Salmas of serving “reheated food from the Novartis conspiracy” because, he claimed, his allegations regarding hospital waste tenders had failed.

Regarding the message to Frouzis about advertising expenditure on a website, Georgiadis said that the SMS was already included in the Novartis case file and that there was no new evidence.

He added that during the investigation, authorities examined his phone and messages and found nothing beyond that exchange.

Georgiadis also confirmed that Salmas had called him to his office and informed him about the US authorities’ investigation into Novartis, while he was later also informed by lawyer Sarakis.

“For the record, I also informed Mr Samaras and Mr Mitsotakis,” he said.

Finally, Georgiadis referred to the case of protected witness Nikos Maniadakis, saying that Salmas’ claims were already known from the case file.

“In order not to defend the false accusations regarding the hospital waste tender, he diverted attention with the reheated Novartis story,” Georgiadis added.