A hot topic in Thrace: zeolite
Two New Democracy MPs from Thrace have accused officials of serving personal interests by failing to exploit Thrace’s zeolite reserves. They are Alexandros Kontos and Evripidis Stylianidis, former ministers, who do not, however, name the personal interests they are denouncing.
At the same time, and after a three-year delay, the Greek courts have dismissed, on technical grounds, an appeal by the company concerned regarding the exploitation of zeolite in Thrace. Despite the fact that a public prosecutor’s investigation is calling for an inquiry into the responsibilities and omissions of former and current members of the government regarding the suspension of the investment in Thracian zeolite, in Petrota, Evros, whilst identifying specific responsibilities on the part of officials and senior staff at the Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration (IGME). The political figures whose responsibilities and omissions are to be investigated as part of the public prosecutor’s inquiry are the Deputy Minister for the Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Asimakis Papageorgiou, the former Deputy Ministers for Development Stavros Kalafatis (for the period 2009), Ioannis Bougas and Anastasios Nerantzis, as well as the former Minister for the Environment, Tina Birbili.
A. Kontos (MP for Xanthi) and E. Stylianidis
(MP for Rodopi) have addressed their question to the Ministers for the Environment, Finance, Development, Rural Development, and Macedonia–Thrace. They describe the utilisation of zeolite ‘one of the greatest opportunities for development in our country’s agricultural sector, as well as in other sectors’ and point out that large zeolite deposits are located in the region of Thrace. They also criticise that: “Unfortunately, however, for procedural and legal reasons, as well as to serve personal interests, this significant development opportunity remains untapped.” And they ask the ministers why the large zeolite deposits in Thrace are not being exploited and what measures they intend to take to overcome the problems and counter the interests thatare hindering the exploitation of the zeolite deposits.
The two MPs were members of the government and ministers for a long period whilst the company ‘Geovet’ from Thessaloniki was attempting to overcome any obstacles and proceed with the investment in and exploitation of the zeolite deposits at Petrota in Evros. A. Kontos served as Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food (2004–2007) and Minister of Rural Development and Food (2007–2009). E. Stylianidis, meanwhile, was Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs (2004–2007), Deputy Minister for Education (2007–2009), Minister of Transport (10th 2009–7th 2009) and Minister of the Interior (6th 2012–6th 2013).
Throughout all these years, and many more before that, the company ‘Geovet’ had been trying to obtain a licence to exploit the zeolite deposits in Thrace. And when it obtained the licence from the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, the then Deputy Minister for the Environment, Yiannis Maniatis, put the brakes on the investment. In fact, the Greek State was designated as a shareholder in the project and would have generated significant revenue.
The company lodged an appeal with the Athens Court of Appeal on 17 October 2011, seeking the revocation of Maniatis’s decision. The appeal was lodged with the Court of Appeal following a clarifying enquiry as to as to whether it was legally responsible for hearing such appeals or whether the appeal should have been lodged with an administrative court. The appeal was lodged, but ultimately, in December 2012, the Athens Court of Appeal declared that it lacked jurisdiction and referred the appeal to the Administrative Court of First Instance in Thessaloniki for hearing. However, it took a further two years for the appeal to be heard, which finally took place last January. As noted in the judgment, the court’s deliberations took place on 4 April 2014 and the judgment was read out in open court during its extraordinary public sitting on 6 May 2014. It was finalised and finally served on the parties concerned as recently as last June. A total of three years after the appeal was lodged.
The court ultimately dismissed the appeal. Not on substantive grounds, but, as explained in the 14-page judgment, because the company has no legal right to appeal against the decision of the then Deputy Minister, as his decision concerned the revocation of a decision by the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. It is therefore an administrative matter that does not concern the company, but rather the authorities.
It took the Administrative Court of First Instance of Thessaloniki 14 pages to analyse this issue, yet in those pages it takes no account whatsoever of the investigation by the Orestiada public prosecutor, which identifies not only administrative responsibilities on the part of IGME executives and managers, but also government officials. This is, after all, why the case file was referred to Parliament – where it remains unaddressed – as required by the law on ministerial responsibility.
By SAKIS APOSTOLAKIS sakisapostolakis0@gmail.com
Source: enet.gr