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Former defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos has been accused of money laundering, tax evasion and filling in false tax declarations. He has been banned from leaving the country, has had to pay 150 thousand euro of bail and his immovable property has been attached.
    Prosecutor Galinos suggested that Akis Tsochatzopoulos should appear before a three-member court for filing in 2010 a false tax declaration for the fiscal year 2009. The case against the former defence minister from PASOK and right hand of the party founder Andreas Papandreou was opened after the parliamentary committee, which investigated his bank accounts and tax declarations, had submitted its report. According to the committee’s conclusion, his declarations do not include his house on Dionisiou Areopagitou Street in downtown Athens and other properties do not correspond to the declared income.
    It is believed that Tsochatzopoulos received a bribe of 8 million euro from the German company Ferrostaal to make an unprofitable deal for Greece for the purchase of military submarines, which subsequently proved to be defective. According to the indictment, the money had been paid by the Swiss branch of the bank Morgan Stanley. With it, the arrested had bought a large house in the northern Athens suburb of Kifissia and another property.
    A few minutes ago, Akis Tsochatzopoulos was taken from his home by police officers in the presence of his lawyers and many journalists. The arrested was not handcuffed. Currently, the economic police are searching his office on 8 Omirou Street in the central district of Kolonaki. According to the Greek media, arrest warrants have been issued for other people, who were advising him on how to hide his income. The arrested is in the building of the headquarters of the Greek police to testify before the magistrate.
    Justice must be unprejudiced, commented PASOK informally.