Deputy Defence Minister Stephanis retorts to mudslinging from leftist newspaper

This is how the Deputy Minister of National Defense, Alkibiadis Stephanis, responded to the front page of the "Editors' Journal" (Efimerida ton Syntakton). The newspaper had maintained that ret. Army chief Stephanis did not have the academic credentials he claimed.

At the same time, Mr. Stephanis published his diplomas and notes: "As far as the first one was concerned, it was a team curriculum of the Ministry of Crisis Management."

As for the second one, I was the only Greek Officer in 2008-2009 because I graduated from the National Defense School, graduating first and following the procedures, as a reward and completing all the rest I was selected by the Council.

During my studies there, besides my academic excellence, I was the Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the University. I completed my studies as a Distinguished Graduate and was awarded by the Army General Staff."

The Deputy Minister of Defense emphasized that these are Armed Forces procedures, followed for the training of officers, in the pursuit of excellence and not for receiving grants or for an academic career.