Request for the waiver of the immunity of Georgios Kyrtsos

The European Parliament decided to waive the immunity of Georgios Kyrtsos.

As reminder, the Prosecutor of the Athens Court of First Instance requested the waiver of the immunity of Georgios Kyrtsos, Member of the European Parliament elected for Greece, in connection with criminal proceedings to be launched against him regarding non-payment of amounts owed to the Greek State. Georgios Kyrtsos, in his capacity as CEO and legal representative of the company Free Sunday Publishing House Ltd., is accused of failing to pay EUR 459 918.18 owed to the Greek State.

Members considered that the alleged offence does not constitute an opinion or a vote cast in the performance of his duties as a Member of the European Parliament.  The alleged offence clearly has no direct link with the activities of Georgios Kyrtsos as a Member of the European Parliament, but instead relates to his former position as manager of his newspaper company.

In this case, Parliament has found no evidence of fumus persecutionis, which is to say factual elements indicating that the judicial investigation in question was initiated with the intention of damaging the political activity of the Member in his capacity as a Member of the European Parliament.

Consequently, following the recommendation of its Legal Affairs Committee, the European Parliament has decided to waive the immunity of Georgios Kyrtsos.