The case concerns the amount of 2,437,962 euros that the accused former minister allegedly received as a “kickback” to put his signature on the contract for the modernization of 6 frigates of the Navy, in 2003. The prosecutor suggested guilt for the former minister’s wife minister, Stavroula Kourakou, but also a close friend of theirs who are also sitting in the dock for money laundering.
In his proposal, the prosecutor described the route of the black money with the aim, according to the accusation, to end up in the hands of the former minister “clean”. “Since there was black money, it had to be legalized,” said the prosecutor, who appeared convinced of the defendants’ guilt.
The prosecuting official dismissed claims by the accused former minister that the origin of the money is his “aunt from Niger” and his ex-wife. “Money does not go directly to the minister’s office! You must be a complete amateur! No one is going to leave the starter in the minister’s office!” he emphasized and spoke of a huge damage to the State as, as he said, it was a process that “might have been made from the funds of the navy”.
“This contract has all the elements of disloyalty and damaged the State by 381 million euros. That’s why the bribe was made, I’m nothing…” he said, adding “We can’t say that the bribe will be made through web banking! It is naive to believe such a thing. Otherwise, these jobs are done through the transfer of cash. There was a transfer of money that was transferred through off shore companies to Greece. This results in an amount of 1,250,000 euros”.
The district attorney spoke of an “incomprehensible narrative” referring to the claims of Yannos Papantoniou regarding the origin of the money.
“He said regarding some sister of his father in Niger who had money and was giving it to him. He was saving this money he said and he was able to save this amount. Of course, this money was not enough to complete the amount, there was an amount of 700,000 euros left which he said was from his ex-wife whom he had facilitated and returned to him from 1993-1997 when she passed away” the prosecutor said and continued “The amount of money, as justified by the defendant, is more than ten years old… The claim that he had kept 2.5 million euros in cash over a period of 15 years cannot be supported with a logical sequence. I mean… he thought regarding that time when the contract was signed, he remembered to take the money out to Switzerland because he wanted to secure it. A third party who hears such a story has doubts and suspicions that “we are being made fun of”. In the prosecutor’s office, the belief is created that this is a pretext!”.
The trial will continue on the 10th and 12th of September with the purchase of counsel for the prosecution and defense and then, following they are completed, the decision of the Court is expected.
Evia: To the prosecutor the parents of the 23-year-old disabled person who died of heat stroke
Panhellenic 2024: The Bases for the popular schools of the 4th field [αναλυτικοί πίνακες]
The country is on fire – Fire in Corfu, Kea and Soufli, demarcated in Crete
Very high fire danger in 13 areas on Tuesday 07/16 – The forecast map
Mitsotakis-Beleris: “To close the painful chapter for all of us” – What the two men discussed [βίντεο]
Marinakis: The positive prospects of the Greek economy have been confirmed once once more
NOVARTIS case: The revelations regarding the protected witnesses and the reaction of SYRIZA
#Giannos #Papantoniou #prosecutor #proposed #guilt #wife #friend #case #frigates
