08/02/2018 (Agence Europe) – The Commission declined to comment, on Thursday 8 February, on the allegations surrounding Dimitris Avramopoulos, the Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs, alleging that the former Greek politician received backhanders from the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis in return for better access to the Greek drugs market. The European Commissioner described the reports as the inventions of “sick minds”. The Greek anti-corruption prosecutor has been investigating the Swiss pharmaceutical laboratory since 2016, as it suspects that it may have bribed around a dozen Greek politicians, including former Prime Ministers, such as Antonis Samaras, as well as the former defence minister and current European Commissioner, Avramopoulos. The President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, is following these allegations and their developments very closely, stated spokesperson Margaritis Schinas. (SP)