The flagrant assault launched against ATTIKO METRO S.A., a company protecting the Public interests, only a few days prior to the announcement of the Arbitration Court’s Decision about Thessaloniki Metro Project Limit Deadline, give rise to some fair questions.
In the framework of fully ensuring the interests of the Public, ATTIKO METRO S.A. is obliged to respond to all inaccuracies and malevolent criticism expressed yesterday during the special meeting of Thessaloniki Metropolitan Committee.
More specifically, ATTIKO METRO S.A. is obliged to respond to the following allegations:
“ATTIKO METRO S.A. Management is the same ever since day one of Thessaloniki Metro Project construction” FALSE – The current Management of ATTIKO METRO S.A. assumed its duties in the middle of 2010, i.e. four years after the signing of the contract.
“During the term of office of the current Management, numerous problems emerged in Thessaloniki Metro Project”FALSE – The current Management of ATTIKO METRO S.A. was assigned with a Project which was essentially halted, facing a great deal of unsolved technical and contractual problems, and it managed to resolve almost all its complex technical difficulties.
“During the term of office of the current Management, 77 Objections were filed by the Contractor” FALSE – Ever since the current Management assumed its duties, only 23 Objections were filed, which either a) reiterate earlier Objections, b) concern activities that took place at an earlier time, c) concern actions of the State, or d) are of a lesser importance.
“During the term of office of the current Management, the Contractor has filed claims amounting to 560 million €”FALSE – The financial claims of the Contractor, amounting to approximately 500 million €, were filed before the current Management of ATTIKO METRO S.A. had assumed its duties.
“What is the know-how ATTIKO METRO S.A. currently possesses, since most of its personnel have sought employment in the private sector?” FALSE – The manpower of ATTIKO METRO S.A. consists of high-ranking, experienced and highly-praised staff, possessing an excellent scientific expertise and specialized know-how in Metro Projects found nowhere else in Greece.
“The Management of ATTIKO METRO S.A. should negotiate with the Contractor” FALSE – Neither the Project contract nor the Greek and European Legislation provide for any kind of negotiation whatsoever with the Contractor. The only legal procedure is the one through the Arbitration Court.
“The Project is currently two years past the contractual deadline for its commissioning” – How would it be possibleto complete the Project by 2012 when even at this day extensive and long-lasting archaeological excavations are being carried out at many locations of the Project (to which no reference is made at all)? The most representative example is VENIZELOU Station where, contrary to the will of ATTIKO METRO S.A., the works have been at a standstill for two years due to repeated appeals to the State Council.
Nevertheless, even more questions and concerns arise due to the complete lack of criticism against the Contractor, who is fully responsible for the construction of the Project as per the Contract and the Law. The criticism did not touch upon the five companies of the Joint Venture, while it was solely focused on ATTIKO METRO S.A., the entity responsible for the Project’s supervision.
In other words, there is a sudden and unprecedented malevolent criticism and assault, based on specific articles of Thessaloniki Metro Project contract, directed against the State company ATTIKO METRO S.A., a defender of the public interests, i.e. the taxes paid by Greek and European citizens.
It is even more curious when we consider that part in this assault takes an entity whose representative serves in parallel his personal interests as one of the Contractor’s associates.
Indeed, what can a Greek citizen assume when he/she hears official entities of the city reiterate well-known positions of the Contracting Joint Venture, whereupon the Contractor bases his claims for compensation by the Greek State amounting to hundreds of millions of Euro.
ATTIKO METRO S.A. is neither intimidated, nor blackmailed.
It will continue to safeguard the Public interests in the same manner it handled public funds for its other projects and dealt with similar financial claims of Contractors in the past, so as to finally deliver an optimum Metro system to the city of Thessaloniki – a Project making all of us proud – the soonest possible without however deviating from the rules of lawful and transparent management.
We point out that, as per the applicable legislation, the so-called “necessary actions” requested to be implemented within 45 days fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Arbitration Courts.
Finally, ATTIKO METRO S.A. explicitly states that it is always guided by and acts on the basis of legality and is always open to good-faith criticism no matter where it comes from. However, the attack launched yesterday against ATTIKO METRO S.A. by far exceeds the boundaries of good-faith criticism, since it clearly touches upon the boundaries ofpressure to give in to the voracious demands of the Contractors, which is probably the goal of some circles.
