The Diatmisi ATE company, where former State Minister Alekos Flampouraris is a shareholder and board member, has signed a construction contract with the District of Peloponnesus worth 3.9 million euros, according to a media report. According to the report on protothema.gr, the contract is for the construction of supplementary works on the fishing shelter of Vrachati.
As expected the revelation of the contract has caused major uproar, since aside from the implication of Mr. Flampouraris, many objections were raised when the contract was singed since the firm did not appear to have tax clearance.
The tender for the construction work took place in September 2014 and Diatmisi was declared the successful bidder in November 2014. The contract was singed on the 20th of May between the District Governor of Peloponnesus Petros Tatoulis and Diatmisi representative Yannis Kottaridis, at a time when Mr. Flampouraris was still in office.
Although Mr. Flampouraris claimed in a televised appearance on ERT to have shut down the company, it continued to operate and undertake work. Furthermore, the former minister appears to own over 50% of the company. Mr. Flampouraris spoke to the Athina 98.4 FM radio station and argued that the company signed the contract after making successful bid “about a year or year and a half ago” and claimed that he is being slandered.
SYRIZA also issued a statement backing Mr. Flampouraris and lashed out against To Proto Thema, accusing the newspaper of launching a campaign of disseminating falsified news and slander against SYRIZA and its officers.
