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Rumours of state bankruptcy made many Greeks transfer their money abroad

23 March 2011 / 18:03:15  GRReporter
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Rich Greeks, traders, ordinary citizens, even nuns, have transferred their bank deposits abroad, says the report of the head of the parliamentary committee for money laundering Panagiotis Nikoloudis. The deputy prosecutor of the Supreme Court told the parliamentary committee on institutions and transparency that "capital outflow abroad is a very serious problem."

"We all know the expression "we spent it together." I do not know whether this is so. But to my regret, I can tell you that "we all transferred it," said the judicial representative.

Panagiotis Nikoloudis added that "I am very sad as a citizen of this country by the type and the number of people who rushed to withdraw their money from the banks and transferred it abroad. They range from rich people to nuns."

Furthermore, Panagiotis Nikoloudi calmed the Greek deputies that the audits made on the finances of the Greek political staff in 2010 show that "politicians are not the most corrupt social group in the country."

"Politicians are obliged to state their financial sources and can be punished with withdrawal of parliamentary immunity and their civil rights. I say this after a comparative evaluation of the inspection findings of politicians and other citizens. There are groups not accountable to anyone and they can not be audited for their involvement in offshore companies," said the head of the parliamentary committee for money laundering.

However, it became clear that the Athens prosecutor's office will send to parliament the file on the purchase of the four defective 214 type submarines at the navy’s expense. The project for the construction of the submarines was undertaken by the German companies HDW and Ferrostaal and the Hellenic Shipyards with a ministerial decision for direct commissioning taken in 1999 and a contract signed a year later.

Greek lawmakers will have to investigate whether there were criminal acts committed by the former Minister of Defence Akis Tsohadzopoulos, since the decision was taken and the contract for the purchase of the military equipment was signed when he was in the office.

Prosecutors held an investigation after numerous inspections by the economic crimes prosecuting body. The Prosecutor Eleni Raykou considered that the case should be sent to the Parliament under the law on ministerial responsibility. So, the burden of deciding whether the former minister is to be investigated or not falls on the shoulders of his former colleagues in parliament and the governments of PASOK.

Meanwhile, the prosecution calls for evidence 37 people who were involved to a greater or lesser extent in the purchase of the "crooked" submarines. Most of them were members of the civilian staff of the Ministry of Defence, military, members of the committees established for the supply of the submarines and private individuals. They all took part in the decision on the direct commissioning of the construction of the submarines in the period 1998 - 2002, when the Ministry of Defence was headed by Akis Tsohadzopoulos and Janos Papandoniou.

The first of the former ministers was the subject of public attacks back in 2004 when he organized his lavish wedding to the much younger second wife of his in one of the most famous and expensive hotels in Paris. Then, articles appeared in the press according to which Akis Tsohadzopoulos was involved in offshore companies and has bought through one of them a house on one of the most expensive streets in Europe near the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

The fact that the former Minister and candidate for President of PASOK in 1996 had quite modest financial resources before getting involved in politics in 1981 has made a large part of the Greek society to speak out aloud what was rumours for years.

In recent months, groups of Greeks enraged and exhausted because of the cut salaries and pensions began to hold protests in front of this very luxury house of Akis Tsohadzopoulos, as well as in front of the house of the former Prime Minister Costas Simitis, calling them to "give back the stolen money." Public anger has grown also because of the Siemens’s black cash boxes case. Nevertheless, the parliamentary committees investigating the scandal hushed without pointing out those responsible.

 

Tags: PoliticsMoneyState bankruptcyPoliticiansInvestigationParlimentary committeeDefective submarines
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