A letter of complaint was sent to TheTOC by the company of Panagiotis Spyrakis and Co., in which they protest against the publication of the website regarding the giant building they attempted to erect on Kifisia Avenue and Jouna. The construction work has been halted by the Mayor’s order.
To recall the story, it is about a company that had received a permit to build a structure with bonuses in square meters and height according to the New Building Regulation, which the Council of State has ruled unconstitutional. Residents protested when they discovered that despite the suspension of construction, work continued under the pretext of safety-related activities. After there were strong protests, the Mayor ultimately ordered the revocation of the permit and restricted work to the absolutely necessary.
In its letter, the company asserts that the publication was defamatory aimed at its reputation, that a multitude of unfounded and false facts were launched against it, while adding that even if the facts were true, the author of the publication should have omitted the company’s name so as not to harm it. The letter concludes by stating that we did not verify the facts since what only mattered to us was the desecration of the company’s prestige.
Below is the letter:
The response of TheTOC to Mr. Panagiotis Spyrakis and Alpha Building company
It is interesting to note the lawyer’s remark of the company in the letter sent to us, that even if the factual circumstances were true (sic), our writer should have omitted the name of the company so as not to harm it. Because, of course, the factual circumstances are exactly as we described them, and the accusation directed at the company is that although there was an order to suspend activities, it exploited the small margin given by the municipal authorities for safety-related work to continue building normally. To build according to the conditions of the new Building Regulation, which have been deemed unconstitutional by the 5th section of the Council of State, and a final decision of the Plenary of the Council of State is awaited.
After all, this is a problem that was recently mentioned by Καθημερινή, reproducing the report by TheTOC on the giant building in Kifisia, that because no order has been issued by the Ministry of Environment to suspend all buildings using the bonuses of the building regulation, there is confusion. In some places, the work is continuing normally, while in others, residents are going to court to stop the monstrosities.
This is why the residents in Kifisia rose up, a fact that the letter strangely omits; this is why they reported the contractor to the Police – which the letter also fails to mention – this is why the Mayor ultimately intervened and asked the Urban Planning Department to revoke the company’s permit and not to continue building. This is also not mentioned in the letter. But this is probably not surprising.
The claims about our intention to harm the company’s reputation are obviously unfounded, as our only concern is the protection of the environment. As for the references in the letter to ethical standards, they will allow us not to accept journalism lessons from technical companies. After all, we have not violated any ethical rules. Others ask to suppress the facts and names. And if necessary, we will revisit this. And with names and with facts.
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