Corfu Mayor:"I didn΄t ask for the riot police - the order came from the government"
riot police
26 Jun 2018
/ 13:35
CORFU. What the Mayor said about the letter to the Minister for the Interior and other ministries.
Press release from the Mayor:
Regarding the report on START TV channel (local TV channel) titled 'EXCLUSIVE: the document in which Nikolouzos requested Toskas for the riot police (MAT)', the Mayor of Corfu has made the following statement:
"I categorically deny what was said on Start TV - that I requested the MAT in order to proceed with the operation of the Lefkimmi landfill.
So that the truth can be known, I would like to say the following: The document in question, dated 6/5/2018, was sent to the Minister for the Interior Panos Skourletis and cc to other responsible ministries regarding the completion of works necessary for the Lefkimmi landfill to be licensed (power supply, road surfacing and water supply). Given that there had been incidents and criminal actions (such as the arson attack at the facility by persons as yet unknown) and in order for the necessary work aforementioned to be carried out without putting the contract crews in any kind of danger, I requested for support from the Prosecutor and the police. As can be understood, this was not a request for the presence of the MAT in the area.
I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate our position that the Lefkimmi landfill is at the moment the only solution for the interim management of waste and the only way to deal with the dangerous situation which Corfu finds itself in.
As we have also said repeatedly, the operation of the Lefkimmi facility requires agreement from all those involved and we have made great efforts to try and obtain this. The intransigence, however, of one section of society as seen in the residents' associations have led these efforts to a dead end.
We did not request the presence of the riot police in Corfu and we don't wish to see it and in any case, the decision is the responsibility of the Government.
Finally, even at this late hour, we invite the residents of Lefkimmi to sit down and talk in order that the landfill can start operating and Corfu can escape this nightmare with the waste."
Regarding the report on START TV channel (local TV channel) titled 'EXCLUSIVE: the document in which Nikolouzos requested Toskas for the riot police (MAT)', the Mayor of Corfu has made the following statement:
"I categorically deny what was said on Start TV - that I requested the MAT in order to proceed with the operation of the Lefkimmi landfill.
So that the truth can be known, I would like to say the following: The document in question, dated 6/5/2018, was sent to the Minister for the Interior Panos Skourletis and cc to other responsible ministries regarding the completion of works necessary for the Lefkimmi landfill to be licensed (power supply, road surfacing and water supply). Given that there had been incidents and criminal actions (such as the arson attack at the facility by persons as yet unknown) and in order for the necessary work aforementioned to be carried out without putting the contract crews in any kind of danger, I requested for support from the Prosecutor and the police. As can be understood, this was not a request for the presence of the MAT in the area.
I wish to take this opportunity to reiterate our position that the Lefkimmi landfill is at the moment the only solution for the interim management of waste and the only way to deal with the dangerous situation which Corfu finds itself in.
As we have also said repeatedly, the operation of the Lefkimmi facility requires agreement from all those involved and we have made great efforts to try and obtain this. The intransigence, however, of one section of society as seen in the residents' associations have led these efforts to a dead end.
We did not request the presence of the riot police in Corfu and we don't wish to see it and in any case, the decision is the responsibility of the Government.
Finally, even at this late hour, we invite the residents of Lefkimmi to sit down and talk in order that the landfill can start operating and Corfu can escape this nightmare with the waste."
