Galery

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New data are increasingly intensifying the case of incredible amounts of bribes obtained by Akis Tsochatzopoulos. They are in the archives of the former PASOK minister and reveal the flow of 'political' money to foreign banks up to the end of 2010. The documents in the folder of the case file show that Akis Tsochatzopoulos described his thoughts and actions in detail. Authorities believe they are directly related to the laundering of dirty money that he and his associates obtained as "gifts" for the arms deals.

The documentation that was submitted to the relevant lawyers contains 18 notebooks of Akis Tsochatzopoulos. They were found in his office and home. His notes describe meetings with journalists, politicians, lawyers and businessmen. Investigators will determine which of these persons will have to be called upon to explain why they met with the former minister. The notebooks contain information about dozens of meetings and besides the true names of the participants, the former minister used nicknames like "Buddha", "the fat" and the like for some of them.

The main character in the first part of the notes, except Akis Tsochatzopoulos himself, was the former Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Yiannis Sbokos. According to the diary, he had to export one million euro before Christmas in 2010. But, as Akis Tsochatzopoulos noted, he was not correct and therefore, the former minister was forced to send dozens of written messages to him to pay back the impressive amount.

"If you remember, some time ago I had to ask for help to "sober" Sbokos, who has gradually stopped sending me the amount of one million euro, as we had agreed during the Christmas holidays in 2010!"

With this excerpt from his handwritten notes, Akis Tsochatzopoulos actually admits that he exported money to foreign banks even at the end of 2010. However, the notebook does not mention the source of the money Yiannis Sbokos had to pay back.

Akis Tsochatzopoulos mentioned amounts obtained from his "successful" collaboration with this person from 1997 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2004. He wrote, "Two years ago, I suggested settling our previous cooperation (the years are stated here – author’s note), but you refused to do it. The fact that you have not paid back to me the amount of 900 thousand euro since 2010, which was approved by your people, was the biggest loss for me. These losses are due to the plan you were following and because I covered every month what was "promised" from my reserve."
 
Elsewhere, Akis Tsochatzopoulos wrote, "You have been promising for months that there should have been parcels to various locations around the world. Russia, Ukraine, Italy, Switzerland." The amount of "10 e" was written in this note and it continues:

"We both know how much the money is and where we have sent it through you. You told me that the people out there, who had affixed their signatures, were hoping that the legal proceedings would end quickly and we should go and take it and free them from it."

As for PASOK, he notes in several places that the party was "continually undermining" his authority between 2004 and 2007.

Legal circles believe that the decoding of the former minister’s notes will reveal to the investigator new persons, who will also be charged for the legalization of funds from illegal activities. The possibility of announcing additional charges against all involved remains open.

At the same time, Akis Tsochatzopoulos' wife, Vicky Stamatis, who is also under arrest in Korydallos prison, was taken to hospital for a gynaecological problem. She is under medical supervision in a room specially adapted for prisoners in the Athens hospital of Thriasio. Police officers are guarding her and visits by her relatives are not allowed.

In a letter to the media, announced by one of her lawyers, she defined her arrest as unjust and claimed that she was forcibly given the image of a tragic character in a socio-political soap opera.

"I have the right to ask whether justice was present at my crucifixion or not. I have the right to ask what exactly justice has benefited from its precise assessment. Maybe the profit was its exemption from fault or automatic adjustment to electoral strategies or self-purifying?" she said tartly. Vicky Stamatis wrote the letter in reply to the refusal of judicial authorities to her request for being released from custody.