The Alternate Minister of Health Pavlos Polakis has provoked the ire of the judge and prosecutor union, after controversial statements he made during a speech on Thursday evening in Peristeri.

In his speech the Alternate Minister stated that “the judicial body requires new blood, because many judges are dependent on and members of para-judicial networks”. Mr. Polakis also estimated that the Mavrikos affair does not appear “that much of an accident”.

In relation to a recent series of scandals involving KEELPNO, the Alternate Minister claimed that previous political leader often bribed journalists and web sites with minimal traffic in order to ensure their backing.

Responding to Mr. Polakis’ statement on “new blood”, the union of judges and prosecutors commented that this not yet another “faux pas” but rather an “institutional aberration”. As such, the union called for the President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos to intervene, arguing that the Alt. Minister must either withdraw his statements or file a complaint regarding corrupt judicial officers.