ATHENS – Greece's Parliament voted to lift immunity for Radical Left SYRIZA lawmaker and former deputy justice minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos after he was accused of manufacturing a fake scandal claiming 10 rival politicians took bribes from the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis.

Not a shred of evidence has been presented, the case brought on the word of three alleged whistleblowers who said they overheard that the politicians took money to help Novartis boost its business in the country.

Papangelopoulos, who has denied any wrongdoing, is alleged to have tried to incriminate the politicians from the now ruling New Democracy and its former coalition partner, the now-defunct PASOK Socialists.

Seven of the 10 have already been cleared and anti-corruption prosecutor Eleni Touloupaki has been charged with felony and misdemeanor counts for pursuing the case even as it had unraveled.

A total 177 out of 300 lawmakers in the Parliament controlled by New Democrcy, which has 158 seats, the vote coming after a parliamentary committee had investigated his role in the case, with SYRIZA walking out and denouncing the probe.