Filenews 24 February 2023
Due to the lack of control, four military doctors in parallel with their work were also enrolled in the GHS and in fact, one in five months received €226,000, as the Auditor General, Odysseas Michaelides, stated before the Parliamentary Audit Committee, without being denied. One of the doctors registered entries in the system every six minutes and performed cataract operations every 12... minutes.
It is noted that the Tax Commissioner announced that criminal charges have been filed against one doctor, while the rest will be checked by the provincial offices for taxation.
According to another finding of the Auditor General, in its report for 2020, the Ministry of Defence rented a building at a reasonable price by paying €821,000 per year, with the prospect of initiating the procedures for the construction of a privately owned building, but since 2019 no action has been taken in this direction. It is noted that even if the procedures are initiated now and a privately owned building is erected in five years, that is, by 2028 the taxpayers will have paid more than €8 million, so we will essentially have paid a building in rent, without even using it.
As for the movement of 1,225 vehicles of the army, in the year 2020 they travelled 10,492,382 kilometres which means each of them, on average travelled 8,565 kilometres.
Along with all this, and the case of an officer whose 22 massage services with electrotherapy were covered in six months and for which a total of €101,375 was paid to doctors/ treatments over four years. For these 22 massage treatments, along with electrotherapy, the cost amounted to €3,234 (€147 each). The Auditor General's report states that in a period of one year, a total of 79 medical visits had been made, without, however, being able to determine both the medical problem due to which the patient visited the specialist doctor, and the corresponding medical opinion. It is also stated that based on the data kept in the personal file of the officer in question, as well as the detailed invoices for the medical services provided to his family members, it did not appear that they were dealing with any pre-existing medical condition or serious chronic disease, requiring regular medical supervision and administration of specific medication.
The Auditor General's report also refers to the concession of a jet aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force to the Republic of Cyprus for the transport of the President of the Republic and officials. As stated in the report, the Ministry of Defence, after being informed in writing of the technical characteristics and operating costs of the aircraft, expressed the opinion that such a decision is considered unprofitable. Subsequently, the Minister of Defence, in a handwritten note, gave instructions not to express interest in its purchase.
In spite of the above, a delegation went to Greece and in a relevant document dated 29. 4/2022/<>, the following were also mentioned:
- For its immediate utilization, it required, inter alia, staff training, special modifications and additions of electronic systems, without, however, specifying the estimated cost for all individual works, services and materials. Based on the available data, their amount was estimated at €750,000 and in addition it would be required for periodic maintenance and subscriptions, an expense of €410,000, on an annual basis.
The Audit Office submitted relevant questions to the Ministry of Defence, which in a reply letter (dated 8/7/2022) stated that the Hellenic Republic donated the plane that will be used to transport the President of the Republic of Cyprus and government ministers, where circumstances require it. This donation was approved by the Ministry of Finance and subsequently ratified by the Council of Ministers on 15/6/2022, which decided that the cost of training the crew will be covered by the budget of the Ministry of Defence, while the other expenses will be covered by the budget of the Presidency.
The Auditor General submitted clarifying questions and the Ministry of Defence, among others, replied the following:
- Account was taken of the fact that the plane would be donated and not sold (as originally planned).
- H.F. staff attended trainings in Greece, the cost of which will not affect the implementation of the already planned trainings of the other H.F. executives.
- The decision to accept the donation by the Ministry was taken following a relevant proposal by the Ministry of Finance following a relevant note submitted to the Presidency of the Republic by the Commander of the Air Force of the General Staff.
According to techno-economic data obtained and mentioned in the above note, the annual cost of the President of the Republic's travel abroad, from 2013 to 2019, was estimated at €700,000 for approximately 200 flight hours, which compared to the corresponding cost of maintenance / use of the aircraft per flight hour (€3,400, for the year 2020) is slightly higher.
However, based on updated data, the reported maintenance/use cost was estimated at €4,500/flight hour, which does not include the cost of staffing the aircraft. The presidential plane will serve a total of 16 members of the Hellenic Air Force and in addition, for the first two years of its operation, five more members of the Greek Air Force will be required.
Members were left with their mouths open
Concern as to whether the Income Tax controls of all the salaries of GHS doctors was caused by the report of the HIO President, Stavros Michael, that there is access by the Superintendent to the HIO records, so that he can control what each doctor receives and how much tax he pays. In other words, the Income Tax is not automatically informed about the receipts of each doctor, but must check the HIO records to be informed.
The chairman of the Control Committee of the Parliament, Zacharias Koulias, commenting on the issue with the military doctors, said that "this clearly demonstrates and certifies the great feast that takes place at the expense of the health of the citizens". He asked himself, "how is it possible that the HIO paid a doctor €226,000 in five months and if he worked 48 hours a day 24 hours a day?".
DISY MP Savvia Orfanidou acknowledged that there are abuses, something that should also be examined by the Parliament.
AKEL MP Kostas Kostas recalled that the party disagreed with the law as it had been tabled and added that he had expressed concerns about opening the window for public doctors. "Here a window opened and some people made it a dressing door and they all went in," he added.
Ecologist MP Stavros Papadouris wondered if the issue of doctors joining the GHS could be resolved by submitting an affidavit on their behalf that they do not practice the profession at the same time through another body.
INTERVENTION
Here is Rhodes
In the wider climate of the feeling that the ground is suitable for feasting or even for waste (which others will pay for) it seems that sectors in the otherwise disciplined army have also worked. Of course, measures have been taken, but since we seem to be prone to squandering public money, perhaps it would be a good move by the new President of the Republic, at the first meeting of the Council of Ministers, to make it clear to his ministers that he will not tolerate behaviour that will expose him and the government and create a surrounding atmosphere for grabbers. Because if some people are not cut off this time, we will slide further into corruption and there will be no excuses. "Behold Rhodes, behold the leap."
