 |
| (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Read Background to this story by clicking HERE
On Wednesday, it was discovered that the head of this de-mining NGO was also apparently involved in the creation of a support network for Bosnian Serb politician Radovan Karadzic, while he was still on the run in 2004.
A report in the To Vima newspaper, which bases its information on documents recovered from the files of the SFOR peacekeeping force that was stationed in Bosnia between 2003 and 2005, claims that the leadership of this corrupt NGO had established contact with two bodyguards working for Radovan Karadzic (who we repeat was a wanted fugitive at time).
One of these guards, Dusan “Bato” Tesic, appears to have supervised the employees who participated in the crony de-mining NGO and from what the report claims he had also met with the NGO’s president, Konstantinos Tzevelekos on multiple occasions. (It should be reminded that Tzevelekos has been arrested.)
The paper said that several years ago, Tzevelekos had told To Vima that he had met with Tesic to locate a jeep with expensive satellite communication equipment. The same report also notes that this particular NGO also had contacts with the Bosnian UNIPAK firm that was suspected of funding Karadzic.
The 2002 resignation of then Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Yannis Zafiropoulos however is perhaps more revealing.
In his letter of resignation Zafiropoulos alleged that between 1998 and 2000, (at least) 3.5 billion drachmas (or some 9 million Euros) were secretly distributed to NGOs, even though he lodged an objection.
In fact, Zafiropoulos informed Prime Minister Costas Simitis that George Papandreou (who was Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time) had shady dealings with the head of the International Development of Cooperation Agency Alex Rondos.
(No surprises there at all...)
Instead of launching a probe and/or some kind of an investigation after hearing what Zafiropoulos said, Simitis instead said that he supported Papandreou (and all the initiatives he had undertaken), arguing that he wanted "greater flexibility than Zafiropoulos "who insisted on inspections from special services".
(In other words, continue with business as usual).
And while Greek citizens uncover how the Foreign Ministry -and especially the government of Costas Simitis operated between 2000-2004 -, the financial police said on Tuesday that it is investigating a whopping 6,000 nongovernmental organizations for their management of state funds. Basically, authorities are focusing on NGOs that secured amounts in excess of 5 million Euros. Several cases are already in the hands of prosecutors.
Posts
