One of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras’s closest aides, Panayiotis (Takis) Baltakos, was forced to resign on Wednesday after a video posted on the Internet showed him apparently accusing the Greek Prime Minister of trying to influence a prosecutors’ investigation into neofascist Golden Dawn.

Baltakos, the cabinet secretary, announced his resignation just a few hours after the release of the video, which was secretly filmed by Golden Dawn spokesperson and MP Ilias Kasidiaris. The Video shows Baltakos speaking critically of Samaras’s role in the GD crackdown and suggesting the Prime Minister had tried to influence the probe to secure votes for New Democracy.

Baltakos in his letter of resignation, apologised for the upheaval caused by his comments, which he said he had made to “relieve pressure” being exerted on him by Golden Dawn. He claimed to have had a second meeting with Kasidiaris during which he told the latter there was no evidence that the investigation against GD had been influenced.

In the video, Baltakos can be heard telling Kasidiaris that he and two other GD MPs were released pending trial last fall because there was no evidence against them and suggesting that the detention of another three MPs had followed phone calls made by Justice Minister Haralambos Athanasiou and Public Order Minister Nikos Dendias to judicial officials. Baltakos also can be heard saying that Samaras was worried about losing votes to Golden Dawn. “Because you are stopping him from
having a lead over SYRIZA,” he said, referring to the main lefti opposition.

An Athens prosecutor on Thursday launched an investigation into the affair. The prosecutor, Calliope Dagianta, is to investigate the circumstances leading to the making of the video.

Meanwhile, following the upheaval caused in the judiciary by suggestions in the videotape that the judiciary is subject to political influence, the union representing the
country’s judges and prosecutors dismissed the claims as “groundless insinuations.” In a statement late on Wednesday, Supreme Court prosecutor Efterpi Koutzamani had also dismissed the claims, claiming to have “acted on the basis of evidence and the law.

Government Coalition partner and PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos was quick to distance his party from Baltakos, while former coalition partner Democratic Left (DIMAR) suggested that questions also had to be asked about Samaras for trusting Baltakos.

SYRIZA accused the Greek Prime Minister of being “personally responsible” for Baltakos. The left wing main opposition party also called on the government to clarify whether it had attempted to influence the judicial process.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos were due to meet by the time Neos Kosmos went to press in order to assess the fallout from the revelations concerning Panayiotis Baltakos, as the government preapares itself for possible further damaging recordings.

Source: ekathimerini