ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A Greek former prime minister accused of involvement in a pharmaceutical bribery scandal has filed a criminal complaint against current Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and another six people, including the deputy justice minister and three prosecutors.
Antonis Samaras, conservative prime minister from 2012-15, filed the suit Thursday alleging a series of crimes, including abuse of power, defamation, violation of duty and perjury.
His move comes after Greece's left-led government requested parliament investigate accusations that 10 senior former officials, including Samaras, were involved in bribes allegedly paid by Swiss drug-maker Novartis to boost drug sales and prices.
The investigation, which targets several top opposition figures, heightens the stakes in an increasingly acrimonious face-off between the government and leading opposition parties, which accuse it of using the judiciary to further political ends.
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