Senior civil servants who serve as permanent secretaries of ministries and deputy ministries play a key role in implementing state policy and in the overall functioning of the public administration. However, recent developments in three deputy ministries raise legitimate questions about consistency, uniformity and institutional coherence in the handling of cases where such officials face disciplinary or criminal investigations.
Three recent cases are indicative. A permanent secretary under criminal investigation was not suspended from duties, a second facing disciplinary proceedings was suspended, while a third has not been touched despite serious allegations against him.
Two deaths but silence
More specifically, the permanent secretary of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, Giannis Nikolaidis, is under criminal investigation in relation to the fatal Takata airbag case, stemming from his previous position as director of the Department of Road Transport. Despite this, no decision was taken to suspend him and he remains in his post, even though two young people have lost their lives due to the defective airbags, 24-year-old Kyriakos Oxinos in January 2023 and 19-year-old Styliani Georgalli in October 2024.
Suspension for negligence
At the same time, the permanent secretary of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Neophytos Papadopoulos, was suspended last Friday by the Public Service Commission for a period of three months over an ongoing disciplinary investigation concerning negligence of duty.
This highlights a different approach both by the Council of Ministers, under which permanent secretaries fall, and by the political authority, in this case the Deputy Minister of Tourism. The approach raises questions, as it appears that different standards are being applied.
Protected due to family ties
Suspicion of selective handling is further reinforced in the case of a third permanent secretary, Giorgos G. Papageorgiou of the Deputy Ministry of Culture, who is also the husband of the Deputy Minister to the President, Irene Piki.
Serious complaints against him are pending, as confirmed by PASYDY Secretary-General Stratis Matthaiou. Despite their seriousness, which reportedly concerns inappropriate conduct towards subordinates, the procedures for their investigation have not yet been activated. This adds to the perception of selective treatment by the Council of Ministers and relevant institutions.
The key question that arises is why in some cases disciplinary procedures are activated immediately, while in others there is no corresponding response.
PASYDY intervention
The issue of the suspension at the Deputy Ministry of Tourism also triggered a response from the public servants’ union PASYDY. In a statement, the union expressed strong concern over what it described as an unprecedented precedent in the Public Service, referring to the imposition of suspension and a 50% salary reduction on a senior official without exhausting alternative options.
In a properly functioning state, PASYDY noted, an administrative investigation could have been carried out alongside a temporary reassignment of duties, as has happened in previous cases, in order to fully establish the facts before proceeding further.
The union also stressed that if the issue αφορά disagreement between the deputy minister and the permanent secretary, it could have been resolved through dialogue without publicity or damage to the official’s professional standing.
Finally, PASYDY warned that recent developments, including suspensions and reassignments of senior officials, create the impression of a broader trend. It stressed that it will not allow disciplinary procedures to be used as a tool of intimidation and announced that it will seek an immediate meeting with the President of the Republic to discuss the matter and its wider implications for the public service.
