The Best of GRReporter
flag_bg flag_gr flag_gb

Purge in the higher echelons of the police because of Golden Dawn

23 September 2013 / 20:09:15  GRReporter
2416 reads

The revelations about the activities of Golden Dawn and the allegations that it is connected with members of the Greek police have triggered a chain reaction in the structure of the latter. Two resignations and eight changes of senior police officers have followed the statements of Minister of Public Order and Citizen Protection Nikos Dendias that thorough checks and purges will be carried out.

The chief of police in central Greece and the chief police officer in southern Greece had resigned in the morning, citing reasons of a personal nature. Their resignations were accepted early in the afternoon and a few hours later the headquarters of the Greek police announced that it had changed the leadership of eight key police stations. According to the message, the changes have been made ​​in order "to ensure the objectivity of the investigation that the Internal Affairs Service is carrying out in the most explicit possible way."

The checks have been initiated by the testimonies of persons associated with Golden Dawn which have appeared in the media and which reveal the connections of policemen with the party’s activities. Therefore, the following senior police officers have been removed from service:

- Major General and head of the Security Department at the headquarters of the Greek police

- The director and deputy director of the special police forces

- The chief of police and head of the sub directorate to combat organized crime and human trafficking at the Security Service in Attica

- The deputy chief of police and head of the Weapons and Explosives Department at the sub-directorate for State Security at the Security Service in Attica

- The head of the riot police in Keratsini because during the clashes on 18 September 2013 persons in plain clothes threw stones at the protesters participating in the procession following the murder of rap singer Pavlos Fyssas and no one had prevented them from doing so nor had they been arrested as revealed by testimony and photographs

- The head of DELTA forces

- The head of the police station in the suburb of Piraeus – Nikea

At the same time, the prosecutor’s office of the Supreme Court is continuing the investigation of the case of murder. The first witnesses summoned were the journalists who had interviewed current and former members of Golden Dawn. The extremists are still denying that the murderer is connected with them but, as stated by active members, the rap singer's murder was planned and organized in advance. The purpose of the prosecutor's investigation is to identify the people who form the core of Golden Dawn and to bring accusations against them to the degree of felony, including the formation of a criminal group.

The data in the phone of the murderer, Roupakias, show that before murdering Pavlos Fyssas, he had spoken with the head of the local branch of Golden Dawn in Nikea. The check of his calls will make it clear with whom he had spoken on the fatal night. Sources say that the check may identify deputies of Golden Dawn.

It seems that the murder has scared the electorate of the party as indicated by recent polls. Their results show that Golden Dawn’s popularity has fallen by 1.5% - 2.5% and is now around 7%. Almost 8 out of 10 participants define the party as a "fascist" or "criminal" organization and 77% believe that the government should take urgent legislative measures to stop its criminal activities.

On top of that, the party is responding with attacks. "This is a dirty war and the media, political parties and the government are waging it for one sole reason: Golden Dawn has gained significant support, its popularity has exceeded 20%, and it will head the largest municipalities in the country in a few months. We will not stop. The right to do so is on our side and on the side of over one million Greeks."


The events have provoked the intervention of the party leader’s daughter Urania Michaloliakou, aged 25. Despite her young age, she has already been convicted for involvement in an attack on an immigrant. In a letter published in the nationalist sites, she is urging the Golden Dawners to sacrifice themselves for the party. "Think about what you are willing to sacrifice and what you will actually lose. Think about how far you can go. You, the few of you, know what I mean. Think about if you could lose everything for an idea, for our Idea. Just think and make your choice. Can you be one of us? Can you live just for an Idea? I can. We can. What about you?"

 

Tags: PoliticsGolden DawnPolicePurgeMurderInvestigation
SUPPORT US!
GRReporter’s content is brought to you for free 7 days a week by a team of highly professional journalists, translators, photographers, operators, software developers, designers. If you like and follow our work, consider whether you could support us financially with an amount at your choice.
Subscription
You can support us only once as well.
blog comments powered by Disqus