The issue of the purchase of a 29 sq.m. studio apartment in 2023 by the company "Where About Travels" and the way in which it was provocatively distorted is yet another clear attempt to smear the President of the Independent Citizens' Movement "HOPE for Democracy" Maria Karystianou and mislead public opinion, a party statement points out.
As it states on the matter, "an isolated business action by a former associate of hers was distorted so that some could deceitfully and unscrupulously label her a "foreclosure vulture".
The real facts, however, are as follows:
1.] In 2022, Maria Karystianou founded, together with her former partner Giannis Moisidis, a company for real estate exploitation, and each of them contributed one property they already owned.
2.] This specific company, as is also proven by the data published in GEMI, did not develop any substantial commercial activity. Its only assets are two properties, which did not even become objects of exploitation (e.g. rental). That is, they brought them no profit.
3.] One of these two properties is the notorious 29 sq.m. studio apartment, which was indeed acquired on the initiative and under the coordination of her former partner through an electronic auction, as he himself publicly confirmed.
4.] This process took place six months after the Tempi crime, during a period when Maria Karystianou was devoted, beyond her medical practice, from which she makes a living, also to the struggle for justice for her daughter, Marthi, through judicial and other actions in Greece and Europe.
5.] As is also proven by the published balance sheets of this company in GEMI, the turnover for 2023 and 2024 is almost zero. However, it strikes all of us how the journalists who dealt with this issue with such zeal concealed from citizens the company's financial data, from which it is ultimately proven whether it developed activity or not.
6.] We would expect and reasonably demand from the media to deal with the same zeal with the multitude of real estate purchases by political figures, which in 2024 alone (Declarations of Assets of 2025, concerning the 2024 fiscal year), exceeded the total amount of 20 million euros, without the source appearing (!!!), that is, where our politicians, shielded by the impunity of Article 86 of the Constitution, found the money to make all these extremely expensive purchases. Luxury residences, factories, historic properties in Paris and London, bought by people who enter politics with 2-3 properties and leave with 30–40.
7.] For our Movement, since its founding (and it will remain so until we dissolve it), the seizure of the properties of hundreds of thousands of citizens by funds and servicers, which were established under Alexis Tsipras and grew rampant under Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is a huge political and social issue. Besides, the restoration of justice on this issue belongs to the hard core of our Movement's founding declaration, and the action we will tangibly demonstrate on this issue will be the strongest proof that our Movement came to make a difference and fight corruption. That is why they fight us so cowardly and immorally with endless mudslinging and deceitful slanders.
But we are not blackmailed, we are not intimidated, and we do not change course from what we have clearly said and will announce in detail at an upcoming event of ours. A central direction of our program is addressing the provocative lawlessness of the funds, which is taking place under a regime of government protection and support, a phenomenon which we will soon reveal in its entirety, so that the system may once again be stripped bare".