Greek Purge Of Civil Servants

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31588, 27 January 1968, Page 13

Greek Purge Of Civil Servants

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) ATHENS, January 26. . Greek civil servants who sided with King Constantine during his ill-fated coup last December are liable to be dismissed, the Army-backed Government has decreed.

The fate of civil servants who, in their capacity as such or otherwise, were involved in the King's effort to topple the military rulers, now lies in the hands of the Cabinet of the Prime Minister (Mr George Papadopoulos). The first victim of the Constituent Act, now gazetted, was the former Prime Minister, Mr Constantine Kollias. aged 66, who is described by the Government as the organiser and the leader of the King's countercoup.

Mr Kollias was dismissed from his post as AttorneyGeneral of the Supreme Court last night He followed the 27-year-old monarch to his exile in Rome, but returned to Athens early in January and resumed his duties at the Supreme Court. Observers in the Greek capital are unable to say how many civil servants will be involved in the dismissals. NO APPEAL The new Constituent Act deprives dismissed civil servants of the right of appeal to the State Council against the decision of the Cabinet. The State Council, formed of High Court judges, checks yearly Government decisions against existing laws or the constitution. The Government has chosen to invest its decision to purge the State machinery of all Royalist elements with the power of the Constituent Act, which is not subjected to any

control by the State Council, or any other court.

The Army-backed Government has already set up a five-member committee to screen officers believed to have sided with King Constantine. All officers involved will be retired or cashiered.