A sex scandal highlighted by a broadcast journalist who says he has videocassettes of politicians having sex with minors threatens to dominate campaigns for Greece's forthcoming general elections.
The journalist is Makis Triantafillopoulos, host of two weekly television programs, who says he wanted to hold back until after the April 9 elections to avoid accusations of partisanship - but Reuters says colleagues voicing doubts caused him to turn them over to the Athens public prosecutor.
And earlier this week, a conservative lawmaker, Miltiades Everts, the former head of the main opposition New Democrats, asked the journalist to hand over the videocassettes to justice officials.
"If what you say is true and there has been injustice done by politicians, then you must turn over these tapes to the prosecutor immediately," Everts told Triantafillopoulos during a televised news discussion on Feb. 15.
Greece's Justice Minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos, lashed out at the media coverage of the case, Reuters says, warning he was considering legislation to protect individuals' privacy.
Recently, Triantafillopoulos's exposure of a male prostitution ring - also with minors involved - ended up with formal charges against two pop stars, a fashion designer, and a ship owner, Reuters says. In Greece, prostitution is legal only for women with permits; if men are caught soliciting sex, Reuters continues, they're charged and sentenced along with their clients.
