Interior Minister Panos Skourletis, the former energy minister, has openly criticized the main power utility PPC’s chief executive Manolis Panagiotakis for undermining the government’s electricity market policy.

The rift between the two men had been made apparent, both directly and indirectly during Skourletis’s tenure at the energy ministry. However, this latest condemnation by Skourletis, confirmed by various sources, is by the far the most unrestrained.

Skourletis cast his aspersions at the PPC boss during a meeting held by the Syriza party’s energy team. Panagiotakis was not present, but other highly ranked PPC officials, including the deputy chief, Giorgos Andriotis, did attend. The serving energy minister Giorgis Stathakis was also absent.

Skourletis contended that the PPC chief is moving to fully privatize the corporation’s subsidiary IPTO, the power grid operator, despite decisions taken by the Syriza party to prevent such an outcome.

Skourletis also noted that Panagiotakis was behind a recent letter forwarded by the country’s four main banks expressing concern over PPC’s breakaway plan for IPTO.