“This Mockery Will Not Go Unanswered”: Kalymnos Engineers Challenge Direct Contract Awards
The Kalymnos Standing Committee of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) has issued a strongly worded response to a recent press statement by the president of the Kalymnos Municipal Port Fund, Mr Platsis, alleging a long-standing practice of excluding local engineers from public study contracts.
In its letter, dated 7 August 2026, the committee rejects explanations based on “saving time,” “specialisation” and the “immediate delivery of results.” It cites two official decisions which, according to the committee, concern the same traffic study awarded to the same Athens-based contractor.
The committee states that on 24 July 2025, the Municipal Port Fund directly awarded a traffic study worth €18,600 under Decision 35/2025. It further claims that on 31 December 2025, the “Preparation of a Traffic Study” was awarded once again to the same contractor for €18,416.79 under Decision 79/2025.
TEE Kalymnos is now openly questioning why two awards concerning what it describes as the same subject were made to the same contractor within approximately five months. It is calling on the Municipal Port Fund to provide clear explanations.
The committee also argues that direct awards are not isolated responses to exceptional circumstances but form part of an established and systematic policy. In support of its position, it refers to records available through Greece’s Central Electronic Registry of Public Contracts concerning the Municipality of Kalymnos, the local water and sewerage utility DEYAK, and the Municipal Port Fund.
According to the statement, no public invitation for expressions of interest has been addressed to the island’s scientific and technical community. The committee also says that local engineers and other professionals have never been invited to review the list of planned projects and indicate which assignments they may be interested in undertaking.
“We will not allow anyone to demean or ridicule the scientific community of Kalymnos,” the letter states, while also criticising what the committee describes as a patronising attitude towards the island’s engineers.
TEE Kalymnos makes clear that it does not intend to continue what it calls a pointless exchange of press releases. Instead, it is requesting that the Standing Committee be invited to the next meeting of the Kalymnos Municipal Council so that all outstanding issues can be discussed openly and in full public view.
The letter concludes with the unequivocal warning that the committee “will tolerate mockery from no one.” It is signed on behalf of the TEE Kalymnos Standing Committee by its president, Sakellarios G. Tsikouris.
