ATHENS, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Greek lawmakers voted on Wednesday to lift immunity for prosecution for former deputy minister of health, Pavlos Polakis, who is now a lawmaker of radical left party SYRIZA.
Polakis is expected to face in court Yannis Stournaras, governor of the Greek central Bank and Stamatis Poulis, head of the workers' union of Greece's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO).
Stournaras has accused Polakis of having unlawfully recorded a phone call between them last February and leaked their discussion to the Greek press without his consent, while Poulis sued Polakis for slanderous defamation.
"It's a clear act of political persecution," Polakis said, while addressing the lawmakers at the Greek Parliament on Wednesday morning.
He also said as a politician and a former deputy minister, he should be protected by the law for the responsibility of Ministers and openly discuss about the accusations at a committee of the Parliament.
After Polakis' speech at the Greek Parliament, the 86 lawmakers of the opposition SYRIZA walked out of the debate and did not participate in the vote in the 300-member parliament.
The ruling party New Democracy has accused Polakis many times of populism, while SYRIZA stressed that the new government is now seeking revenge for one of its most outspoken political opponents.
