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The Siemens bribery scandal in Greece is a corruption and bribery scandal in Greece over deals between Siemens and Greek government officials during the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece [1] regarding security systems and purchases by OTE in the 1990s. [2]
Although there is no conclusive evidence, the scandal has created a serious change in the attitudes of the Greek public, most notably a dissatisfaction with both main political parties in Greece, New Democracy and Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) and creating a "hole of authority" leading to a vicious circle of political instability.
It has been claimed that the bribes may have been up to 100 million Euro. [3] These bribes were allegedly given in order to win state contracts. [1] [4]
It has been indicated that a few PASOK members acting as individuals may have been involved, although this is simply a claim and nothing has been proven or at least any evidence come to light. [5]
A Greek prosecutor, after two years of investigations, filed charges on 1 July 2008 for money laundering and bribery. [6] It has been claimed that it is certain Siemens divisions that were involved in the transactions. [7]
On 30 May 2008, a prosecutor's investigation took place at the offices of Kyriakos Mitsotakis for donations and grants by Siemens. [8]
In 2009, the central figure of the scandal, ex-Siemens chief executive in Greece Michalis Christoforakos, left for Germany to avoid arrest, in obscure conditions involving the foreign minister Dora Bakogianni. [9]
Tasos Mantelis, former Minister for Transport and Communications during the PASOK administration in 1998, admitted in May 2010 to a parliamentary investigation committee that the sum of 200,000 German marks was deposited in 1998 in a Swiss bank account from Siemens during his administration, allegedly for funding his election campaign. A further deposit of 250,000 German marks was made into the same bank account in 2000 which Mantelis claims is from an unknown source. [10]
As of August 2012, the Greek government has signed a settlement with Siemens worth 330 million euros. [11]
The trial of the persons accused of involvement in the scandal was scheduled to begin on February 24, 2017. A total of 64 individuals are accused, both Greek and German nationals. [12] [13] The central figure of the scandal however, ex-Siemens chief executive in Greece Michalis Christoforakos, against whom European arrest warrants are pending, [14] [15] will likely be absent, as Germany refuses his extradition to this day. Initially arrested in Germany in 2009, the accusations against him by German courts have been dropped. [16] [17] Greece has been demanding his extradition since 2009, and considers him a fugitive from justice. Christoforakos during his trial in Germany testified to has bribed (2%) both the two political parties, ND and PASOK (through Geitonas, partner of Kostas Simitis, and Vartholomeos). [18]
In July 2017, Mantelis was found guilty by Greek courts of bribery and money laundering, receiving an eight-year suspended sentence. [19]
In October 2017, prosecutor Georgios Voulgaris reiterated the warrant to bring Christoforakos (including five German nationals and ex-Siemens top figures) to trial, making it the third time Greek Justice made this demand. [20] [21]
![]() | This article may require
cleanup to meet Wikipedia's
quality standards. The specific problem is: full of repetitive sentences and unsourced statements. (October 2017) |
The Siemens bribery scandal in Greece is a corruption and bribery scandal in Greece over deals between Siemens and Greek government officials during the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece [1] regarding security systems and purchases by OTE in the 1990s. [2]
Although there is no conclusive evidence, the scandal has created a serious change in the attitudes of the Greek public, most notably a dissatisfaction with both main political parties in Greece, New Democracy and Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) and creating a "hole of authority" leading to a vicious circle of political instability.
It has been claimed that the bribes may have been up to 100 million Euro. [3] These bribes were allegedly given in order to win state contracts. [1] [4]
It has been indicated that a few PASOK members acting as individuals may have been involved, although this is simply a claim and nothing has been proven or at least any evidence come to light. [5]
A Greek prosecutor, after two years of investigations, filed charges on 1 July 2008 for money laundering and bribery. [6] It has been claimed that it is certain Siemens divisions that were involved in the transactions. [7]
On 30 May 2008, a prosecutor's investigation took place at the offices of Kyriakos Mitsotakis for donations and grants by Siemens. [8]
In 2009, the central figure of the scandal, ex-Siemens chief executive in Greece Michalis Christoforakos, left for Germany to avoid arrest, in obscure conditions involving the foreign minister Dora Bakogianni. [9]
Tasos Mantelis, former Minister for Transport and Communications during the PASOK administration in 1998, admitted in May 2010 to a parliamentary investigation committee that the sum of 200,000 German marks was deposited in 1998 in a Swiss bank account from Siemens during his administration, allegedly for funding his election campaign. A further deposit of 250,000 German marks was made into the same bank account in 2000 which Mantelis claims is from an unknown source. [10]
As of August 2012, the Greek government has signed a settlement with Siemens worth 330 million euros. [11]
The trial of the persons accused of involvement in the scandal was scheduled to begin on February 24, 2017. A total of 64 individuals are accused, both Greek and German nationals. [12] [13] The central figure of the scandal however, ex-Siemens chief executive in Greece Michalis Christoforakos, against whom European arrest warrants are pending, [14] [15] will likely be absent, as Germany refuses his extradition to this day. Initially arrested in Germany in 2009, the accusations against him by German courts have been dropped. [16] [17] Greece has been demanding his extradition since 2009, and considers him a fugitive from justice. Christoforakos during his trial in Germany testified to has bribed (2%) both the two political parties, ND and PASOK (through Geitonas, partner of Kostas Simitis, and Vartholomeos). [18]
In July 2017, Mantelis was found guilty by Greek courts of bribery and money laundering, receiving an eight-year suspended sentence. [19]
In October 2017, prosecutor Georgios Voulgaris reiterated the warrant to bring Christoforakos (including five German nationals and ex-Siemens top figures) to trial, making it the third time Greek Justice made this demand. [20] [21]