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Golden Dawn threatens early elections

26 September 2013 / 20:09:58  GRReporter
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The revelations about Golden Dawn’s activities which the prosecutor’s office of the Supreme Court is investigating might reach much deeper than expected. In statements to the media, party leader Nikos Michaloliakos has left open the possibility of the entire parliamentary group resigning, thus giving rise to elections in all the constituencies where the party lawmakers were elected during the last elections.

"All options are open to protect Golden Dawn’s political integrity and honour," said leader Nikos Michaloliakos.

According to commentators his statement was provoked by reports that the investigation of the judiciary had reached party members. In their opinion, it can mean two things: namely that he is blackmailing the other parties with early elections or that he wants to throw out of the party the deputies who will face charges of perpetrating criminal acts and to establish a new and "purified" Golden Dawn. The majority of analysts, however, believe that such an act would be the extremists’ political suicide bearing in mind the sharp reduction in the public support for them since polls show an increasing decline in the popularity of Golden Dawn. The extremists have lost up to 4% of positive opinions in comparison with the period before the murder of rap singer Pavlos Fyssas, which has initiated the judicial investigation of the activities of the party.

Eight out of ten Greeks believe that Golden Dawn has nothing to do with democracy and seven out of ten that Nazism is its ideology. 74% of respondents in a poll conducted between 20 -23 September are of the opinion that the cases of violence are part of an action plan organized by the Golden Dawners.

At least three members of the party will testify about its activity within the context of the investigation conducted by the prosecutor’s office of the Supreme Court. According to sources, however, circles associated with the party are trying their best to make those who are willing to cooperate with the judicial authorities not give any information to them.

At the same time, the investigating prosecutor has ordered the cancellation of the confidentiality of the phones of a large number of members of Golden Dawn in order to establish the communication between them. His task is to find evidence of illegal activities carried out by members of the extremist party.

Sources claim that the judicial authorities have already collected data that could support the charges of forming a criminal group. They are connected with leading persons and members of Golden Dawn and are the result of the support of the anti-terrorism service and the National Counterintelligence Service. According to court sources, the evidence relates to other criminal activities such as acts of violence, inflicting serious bodily harm, extortion among others.

So far, the prosecutors have not launched an investigation of the economic situation of the party. At the same time, they are checking the finances of leading figures of Golden Dawn who are reported to have been involved in racketeering groups.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor’s office in Thessaloniki has launched an urgent investigation of a policeman who, according to a complaint filed by a colleague of his, has been training members of the neo-Nazi party in gyms, not trying to hide his sympathy for Golden Dawn.

The reporting policeman has sent an anonymous letter to Minister of Public Order and Citizen Protection Nikos Dendias, stating in it the name of his colleague and his actions, and requesting the intervention of the leadership of the institution.

He wrote the letter after having heard the voice of his colleague on one of the biggest radio stations in Thessaloniki. The policeman had introduced himself as a bodybuilder and had praised Golden Dawn a few days after the murder of rap singer Pavlos Fyssas. According to the letter, his colleague had recognized him by the specific timbre of his voice and had been surprised to hear him saying he was the coach of members of Golden Dawn. The prosecutor’s office has requested the recording of the radio broadcast to determine whether the allegations of the reporting policeman are true.

 

Tags: PoliticsGolden DawnCriminal prosecurionNikos MichaloliakosEarly elections
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