The prosecutor asked for the acquittal of the defendants Pantelis Zahariadis and Spiros Hatzinikolaou, on the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to convict.
She sought a guilty verdict on aggravated felony charges of money laundering for Akis Tsohatzopoulos, Asterios Economidis, Efrosini Lambropoulou, Nikolaos Zigras, Giorgos Sapchasidis, Areti Tsohatzopoulou (Tsohatzopoulos' daughter), Ioannis Sbokos, Vassiliki (Vicky) Stamati (Tsohatzopoulos' wife), Maria-Talita Tsekoura, Oratios Melas, Konstantinos Antoniadis and Giorgos Konstantatos, noting that "it was an act repeatedly committed for their own personal gain". She said that the methods they used and their long involvement in the companies owned by the former minister show that they committed the crime repeatedly for their own personal gain.
A dispatch from the state news agency said that the prosecutor asked for a guilty verdict on a lesser money laundering charge for Nikolaos Georgoulakis, Panagiotis Stamatis (brother of Tsohatzopoulos' wife), Fotis Arvanitis, Gudrun Tsohatzopoulos (Tsohatzopoulos' ex-wife), and Nikolaos Karatzas, saying that "their involvement in Tsohatzopoulos' crimes was circumstantial".
In her closing arguments, Prosecutor Adilini referred extensively to the main defendant and said that "he could have been a prime minister," adding that he has an "arrogant attitude", "defies institutions" and "even tries to mislead, alleging that he was framed".
She spoke about overwhelming incriminating evidence against Tsohatzopoulos, saying that "the size of the bribes he received was such that even he was unable to count them".
The prosecutor said that authorities discovered only a part of the bribes, underlining that "certain bank accounts have been found but they are nothing compared to what the former minister had illegally gained," saying that Tsohatzopoulos in his notes mentioned the need for his own money transferring service.
Addressing the court judges, the prosecutor said that they shouldn't listen to his excuses and quoted Jean-Paul Sartre by saying that "a man is fully responsible for his nature and his choices".
The trial continues with the arguments of deputy prosecutor Panagiotis Panagiotopoulos.
Meanwhile, former Cyprus Interior minister Dinos Michailides arrived in Athens on Friday night to face charges of complicity in the money laundering and armaments kickbacks trial of former Defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos. The charges Michailides is facing relate to money received as kickbacks from Greece's purchase of Tor-M1 missiles. His son, Michalis, is also facing similar charges and extradition, with his case being currently appealed at Cyprus' Supreme Court.
Dinos Michailides, whose similar appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court, flew in with an afternoon flight from Nicosia. He was immediately taken before a prosecutor, who would decide on whether he is to be detained or set free until his trial, although it is still unknown if he was taken to the Korydallos jail, where Tsochatzopoulos is also being held.
Related to the case, a European arrest warrant has been issued for Syrian businessman Fuad Ziyad, a resident of Cyprus, but he has not been located so far.
(Combined Reports)
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