After enjoying his holiday's our beloved George Trangas is back and he pulled out all the stops on last night's show "Choris Anaisthitiko" by slamming the present government, and especially George Papandreou, and his predecessor Costas Simitis. After speaking about the Greek debt, and explaining why we should proclaim it as odious he also commented on the recent remarks by publisher Stavros Psycharis. The latter is the President of the Lambrakis Publishing Group (DOL) which publishes many Athens newspapers including the long-standing journal "To Vima".
Slamming Papandreou, Trangas asked what do private jets and corn have to do with one another? What does a lavish apartment in Knightsbridge have to do with all of this? (Knightsbridge is a London district that is home to many of the world's richest people, and has some of the highest property prices in the world. In 2006, a four bedroomed apartment in this area sold for over £25,000,000, and according to Wikipedia street car parking spaces sell for £300,000 on a 94 year lease! This area is so exclusive that the principal landowners in the area are the Duke of Westminster and Earl Cadogan!)
So what did Trangas mean?
Just less than a week ago, Papandreou accused Psycharis of undermining the PASOK government because the former prime minister had advised the National Bank of Greece not to lend the DOL publishing group 10 million euros. Psycharis responded by saying that Papandreou’s alleged intervention “betrays a fascist attitude. In fact, it was reported that at last week's meeting at PASOK headquarters it was rumoured that Psycharis "influenced" the resignation of Papandreou, or rather endorses it, so that power could be transferred to Lucas Papademos.
No one knows what to believe anymore because the DOL publishing company has over the last 30 years fully supported the PASOK party to such a degree that it has actually been accused of propaganda.
Through "TO VIMA" at the weekend Psycharis made a comeback and sent an obvious message to the Papandreou family and especially to good old George. He said that "of course its a joke" because with "damaged corn you can't cook on private jets , you lose touch with reality."
So the obvious question would be, what do private planes and corn have to do with one another.
For those who are familiar with recent political history its obvious but for those who are not then we are obligated to explain.
Psycharis was probably referring to Daris (Theodoros) Margellos a Greek-London businessman who was once called "Kalambokanthropos" (or Corn man) because of his involvement with the 1980s scandal of Apostolopoulos and
Athanasopoulos and the notorious case of Greek-ization (or forced domestication) of Yugoslav corn to earn EU grants.
Several months ago, and following the accusation from Greek MP Panos Kammenos, who flatly called Papandreou a "broker" and accused him of being involved with Greek CDS, the olympia.gr website published a story claiming that Margelos' company bought a risk premium on Greek CDS bonds. (click here for that story)
And this is where the story gets better... in a follow-up to this story on olympia, Papandreou was seen in London eating at the lavish Zuma sushi restaurant with none other than Margelos.
Harmless one would say... after all these two were old schoolmates, but let us not forget that Papandreou was trying to convince reporters in Greece that he had no idea what CDS bonds were and he was seen dining with someone who has been accused of buying a risk premium on CDS bonds!
On his part, Margellos had warned Kammenos that he would sue him for slander and categorically stated that the "IJ PARTNERS SA" never made any purchases on Greek CDS bonds, nor did any of his executives and they never advised clients to purchase CDS either. However, we need to point out that this CEO, or Theodore Margellos, has repeatedly and publicly stated many times in the past that he is in favor of immediate abolition of uncovered CDS.
This is what Psycharis meant with his cute metaphor about Papandreou and his family. This also justifies all the accusations made by Panos Kammenos over the past year about the dealings of the Papandreou family, and shuts the mouths of all his skeptics who have often ridiculed him for what they say was unjustly attacking the Papandreou family!
Let it also be known that this is not the first time Psycharis has clashed with the political system, which he himself is also a part of. The same series of events happened with the late Andreas Papandreou, as well as Costas Simitis and then later with Costas Karamanlis.
But there was a difference with Karamanlis. In a discussion on the eve of elections in 2007, Karamanlis was asked why he couldn't find a formula to work closer with Psycharis, and he answered with a smile "but it is not that he wants his views to be heard... he wants to co-govern... " and added, this I do not do. And we all know for a FACT that none of the newspapers owned by DOL ever supported Karamanlis thereafter in fact they were his worst nightmare.
So its an all-out cat fight some would say, where every one's dirty laundry is being laid on the line. The obvious question would be if Psycharis knew that all the accusations against George Papandreou and Greek CDS were true then why did he keep it a secret all these months?
Was he using this as a tool to get what he wanted from the government? The loans maybe? Or was his involvement deeper than what was mentioned? We will wait and see what happens.
As for "IJ PARTNERS SA" (Lawyer) Marc Häsler told the Swiss "La Liberte" newspaper back in mid August, 2011 that under Swiss law, the Institute for climate and energy security is an association. “Everything is managed from London and Athens,” he says, (via a mailbox). (click here for that story)
Who lives in London? - Who lives in Athens?
If it quacks like a duck and walks like a duck what is it?
Hmmmmmmm........
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