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Marina Nikolova

750 employees of the insurance company ASPIS which went into bankruptcy are awaiting for a decision about their compensations which decision has to be taken on Monday at a meeting of the Commission for the control of private insurers. The meeting had to be held yesterday in the presence of the lawyer of the people concerned, but it was postponed for next week.

"The last excuse for the likely payment of compensation money from the insolvency bureau of the Organization for employment is quite untenable and clearly showed that the committee for the control of private insurers in the face of advisers Mr. Petsas, Vasis and Pavlopoulos is just trying to win some time in a different way by transferring the decision for payment from one meeting to the next one, aiming ultimately not to pay" says the message of the coordination committee of former employees of ASPIS.

About 70 people gathered yesterday in front of the offices of the Control Committee, to protest against the lack of a decision for eight months already after the bankruptcy of the private company they worked for. Around 200 people of the have already found jobs in other insurance companies as Interamerican, and Etniki and Etniki tracks. The remaining 550 former employees and ASPIS live on unemployment benefits, which are paid each month in the amount of 450 euro. "I need 500 more days to reach the retirement minimum. I have four children and I can not find a job" says the maid of the company who was left on the street.

According to the affected employees when the company declared bankruptcy, accountants have said that in the accounts of the company there is enough money for the compensation to be paid. The lawyer of the staff affected has sent an official letter, which asks to open the accounts of the former owner of the company ASPIS Pavlos Psomiadis in order for the money owed to be paid.

Currently there is an option to be paid 10,000 euro to each employee, with which they disagree. "Eight months already passed after the bankruptcy of the company. We were paid some amount of money. But we want all the money they owe us. Our colleagues are live on 450 euro a month. Accordting to one of the scenarios being discussed we will be paid 10,000 euro each, regardless of whether they owe to some  15,000 - 20,000 euro. We do not accept this," said Alexandra Teodoridou, a former employee in ASPIS.

"State Fund for bankruptcy can pay part of our money, but this is done within six months after receiving a permit for the activity of the company, and now eight months have already passed," said Stathis Elafroyanis. "In the company there are employees with 18-20 years of experience, with families, and nobody has received any compensation."

Meanwhile, the prosecutor Evangelos Yoanidis announced a criminal prosecution for fraud by Pavlos Psomiadis as well as against the financial director of ASPIS. Psomiadis is accused of fraud due to counterfeit check, which was submitted to the Commission for the control of the private insurers in the amount of 550 million euro, not to announce the closure of his company. Two weeks ago, the Athens Regional Court announced the recall of the properties owned by Psomiadis, his wife and his daughter, as well as his companies until the gathering of the amount of 15.5 million euro.