"The warrant for Christos Karavellas, Siemens' former financial manager in Greece, was issued after he failed to appear in court as scheduled on Friday. Karavellas' lawyer claimed his client was abroad and sought to postpone the testimony, the source added.
German industrial giant Siemens is accused of bribing local politicians and officials from Greek telephone operator OTE to bag a multi-million-dollar contract before the
Athens Olympic Games in 2004.
An arrest warrant was also issued on May 20 for the group's former Greek operations director Michalis Christoforakos, who is believed to be in Munich. Greek officials are labouring to have Christoforakos extradited.
Two more suspects, former Siemens executive Ilias Georgiou and OTE's former telecommunications general manager George Skarpelis, who are scheduled to testify in mid-June, have been barred from leaving the country.
The paybacks scandal rocked Greece for months and both the ruling party of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and the main opposition PASOK socialists are accused of taking bribes.
A former PASOK official admitted in June to having accepted 1 million German marks (around €510,000 $720,000) from Siemens in 2000, on behalf of the party when it was in power.
The Siemens scandal erupted in late 2006 and shook the group to its core. The sprawling conglomerate has acknowledged that millions of euros were funnelled into various funds used to obtain foreign contracts, and that the practice was widespread across its numerous divisions."
Sunday, May 31, 2009
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Friday, October 24, 2008
Monastery land scandal claims second Greek minister
With the resignation of Theodoros Roussopoulos, the Vatopedi monastery scandal claimed its second Greek minister. Roussopoulos, minister of state and the ruling New Democracy party's media spokesman. quit this evening denying any wrong doing as did Giorgos Voulgarakis, maritime minister in his resignation in September.
The Greek Orthodox Vatopedi monastery, which is located in Mt Athos became implicated in an alleged land deal scam when it attempted to acquire a conference centre built for the Athens 2004 Olympics. In return for the 40 million euro facility the monastery offered lake Vastonida in exchange. Greek media investigations revealed that not only was the lake obtained from the state by the monks in suspicious circumstances but that the monastery had been involved in a series of dubious land dealings throughout the country.
Under intense public pressure the conservative government of Kostas Karamanlis originally agreed to opposition demands for a vote on a possible parliamentary inquiry. However, In dramatic turn of events today the entire ruling New Democracy party has decided to abstain from tomorrow's crucial parliamentary vote at 6pm.
The resignation of the two public prosecutors assigned to the case citing political interference has simply added to impression amongst ordinary Greeks that the government is attempting to bury the investigation.
Tags: Greece | scandal | World | New Democracy | greek politics | theodoros rousopolos | vetopedi
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Greek food scandal turns political
Just days after the Greek authorities announced a recall of tainted cooking oil the issue has turned into an publicity nightmare for the conservative New Democracy government when it was revealed that the oil had already been on shop shelves for two months.
The Greek national food safety body, EFET announced on May 6 that over a 2000 tons of Ukrainian sunflower oil which had been imported via Switzerland was probably contaminated with mineral oil. However, a report in the Kathimerini newspaper revealed that EFET had known about the contaminated oil since the 28 February when the European Food Safety Authority issued a notification via the European alert system. The Greek authorities were told by their European counterparts that the Manos A.E.company had received 1,1182 tons of sunflower oil which contained 900mg/kg mineral oil. In addition on the 10 March the Agrotiki A.E. company also received 855 tons of sunflower oil, most possibly contaminated.
In addition, opposition PASOK MPs criticised the government over its failure to inform the public more promptly of the possibility of dangerous foods on the market. Also questions were raised over why the Greek authorities delayed the recall of tainted products for weeks even though French authorities had taken similar steps from 23 April.
The Spanish food safety agency ordered all sunflower oil to be withdrawn from sale on the 28 April until the contaminated Ukrainian oil could be located. In contrast, no such measure has been taken in Greece. Indeed local companies supplied by Manos A.E. refused to tell the Kathimerini newspaper the names by which their products are sold on the market.
In 1981 tainted rapeseed oil caused the death of hundreds after being put on sale in Spain.
Tags: Greece | Ukraine | cooking oil | EFET | food scandal | World
Sunday, September 17, 2006
From the Kathimerini newspaper
The findings of an investigation by the Competition Commission into possible price fixing in the dairy industry will be prepared more than a month ahead of schedule as speculation grows regarding the background behind this week’s corruption allegations
Sources said that the commission’s examination of the industry will be ready in 10 days rather than the early November deadline originally set.The government will be keen to shed light on the sector that has given birth to one of the country’s largest state corruption cases.
Dairy company Mevgal informed the Competition Commission earlier this week that it was being asked for a 2.5-million-euro bribe from one of its officials to avoid slapping it with a 25-million-euro fine.
The commission’s director, Panayiotis Adamopoulos, along with two accomplices, were arrested and charged with blackmail on Tuesday in response to the allegations.The news has given way to questions as to whether the alleged blackmailers had approached others in the dairy industry.
“My guess is that they did not just approach us (for a bribe),” Mevgal’s legal adviser, Kriton Metaxopoulos, told Skai Radio.
No other dairy firm has come forth with claims that it has been approached for a kickback.Police said that they are investigating all cases handled by Adamopoulos since he took up his position in November 2005.
The dairy industry was the subject of an investigation by the competition watchdog in 1997. Claims that Greece has the highest priced dairy products in the European Union have fueled rumors that companies in the sector are not allowing the market to operate efficiently.
Meanwhile, the government is measuring the fallout from news of the corruption scandal which is considered to be mixed.Political analysts expect the bribery revelations to provide the government with political points in the long term, as it has made the fight against corruption one of its key policies.
“Whenever such incidents appear, they will be met efficiently. This was not done for many years in the past. Whoever is involved will suffer the consequences as dictated by the law,” said alternate government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros.