The 'Lagarde list' was an electronic file sent to the Greek finance ministry by French authorities, containing the names of Greeks with sizeable deposits in the Geneva-based branch of HSBC, which was received when Papakonstantinou was finance minister. This list disappeared and only resurfaced after several months, without any action to follow up the information it contained. Specifically, the USB stick was eventually given to Prime Minister Antonis Samaras by none other than Evangelos Venizelos -who apparently succeeded Papakonstantinou as finance minister many months later-. The deception was actually revealed after French authorities provided a second copy of the list and Venizelos had no choice but to materalize the USB stick. Further investigation showed that the copies in the hands of Greek authorities had been tampered with and some names removed, including depositors that were first cousins with Papakonstantinou.
As such, the public prosecutor proposes that Papakonstantinou be indicted on charges of breach of faith, violation of duty and doctoring a document. At the same time he also proposes that his cousin Helen Papakonstantinou, her husband Simeon Sikiaridis and Andreas Rossonis also face the same fate.
The proposal was made to the Judicial Council, which is now to convene so as to deliver the relevant Ordinance.
The expected ordinance to be issued is irrevocable (ie not subject to any appeal) and is scheduled to be indulged within a ten day period of its release to Papakostadinou as well as to the President of the Greek Parliament.
If the ordinance refers Papakonstadinou to trial, then the Head of the Greek Parliament has to hold a draw, which will choose the members of the Supreme Court and the State Council that are to rule the case. Basically he has to draw 13 names, and six more alternate names so that the formation of the Special Court (council of judges) is achieved.
The members of the Supreme Court are expected to number seven and six more of the CoE, while the highest ranking member of the Supreme Court is going to exercise presidential duties.
As such, the President of the Special Court, after receiving the list with the names that were drawn in Parliament, must set a court date within 60 days, along with the place of the official court meeting and the list of witnesses.
Papakonstantinou, who has the right to be represented with up to three lawyers, also has the right not to appear in court. Nonetheless the case will still stand trial whether or not he is there, as was the case with Andreas Papandreou in the Koskotas scandal trial in April of 1991.
It should be noted that Papakonstantinou is not protected by the statue of limitations, which dictates that offenses allegedly committed by ex-ministers expire if two parliaments have sat since the offense.
Pliotas is convinced that Papakonstantinou deleted the names of his relatives and purposely never ordered a tax audit against them.
It should be recalled that the case also accused the former head of the Financial Crime squad Yiannis Diotis and Yiannis Kapeleris. Both men were recently given an extension until September 9th, to prepare their defence in connection with the case.
Diotis, who was given a copy of the Lagarde list on a memory stick by Papakonstantinou, is alleged to have modified it and faces charges of stealing an official document, while Diotis’s predecessor Kapeleris, who Papakonstantinou gave a sample of 20 names from the list to investigate, faces charges of breach of faith.
Papakonstantinou has been released on bail, but is still required to appear before police authorities every 15 days. He has denied all charges and claims he is being made a scapegoat for the inaction of others (meaning Venizelos) and his later departure from government.
The indictment of Papakonstantinou, who undoubtedly has enormous responsibilities in this scandalous case, simply reminds us of how corrupt and distraught the whole political system in Greece actually is. HellasFrappe also firmly believes that this very same "system" has manipulated the financial crisis so as to acquit people like George Papandreou, and EU puppet Evangelos Venizelos, but as with every crime... there is never a perfect crime, once you do the crime sooner or later you will have to pay the time.
Let us not forget, that both these men have great responsibilities in this case as well. The only difference between them and Papakonstantinou is that their friends hold more prominent positions, and have successfully spun a tight and protective web around them making them almost untouchable. The very same "system", or the friends of Papandreou and Venizelos, may have also used Antonis Samaras as a crutch to save their precious boys.
Who knows.
In any case, George Papakonstantino will be the first politician after the late Andreas Papandreou, Menio Koutsogiorga, Dimitri Tsovola, Panagiotis Roumeliotis and George Petsos who will face a Special Court.
Let us hope he begins talking....
*Editor's Note - The PASOK party and three decades of proven scandals... No the truth is not a technological breakdown in the "system" it is simply the the road to hell. (The song below is dedicated exclusively to the once mighty PASOK party that once again proved to us how rotten -and corrupt to the core- it really is.)
References in Greek
http://www.naftemporiki.gr/story/837698/protasi-gia-parapompi-tou-g-papakonstantinou-sto-eidiko-dikastirio
http://www.zougla.gr/politiki/article/idiko-dikastirio-gia-papakonstantinou
http://www.nooz.gr/greece/eisigisi-gia-parapompi-papakonstantinou-sto-eidiko-dikastirio28714
http://www.naftemporiki.gr/story/837698/protasi-gia-parapompi-tou-g-papakonstantinou-sto-eidiko-dikastirio
http://www.zougla.gr/politiki/article/idiko-dikastirio-gia-papakonstantinou
http://www.nooz.gr/greece/eisigisi-gia-parapompi-papakonstantinou-sto-eidiko-dikastirio28714
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