NEWS

Former socialist minister rebuffs allegations of corruption

Former Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou on Tuesday lashed out at Deputy Parliament Speaker Ioannis Tragakis for suggesting that the Socialist politician was implicated in arms deals corruption.

“It is politically unacceptable that the deputy speaker is spreading lies and slander against me without any evidence whatsoever,” said Papantoniou, who served as defense minister between 2001 and 2004.

Speaking early Tuesday, Tragakis said that a parliamentary committee, of which he was member, had collected enough evidence to show that Papantoniou, as well as now-convicted ex-PASOK minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, had accepted bribes from Drumilan International during the purchase of TOR-M1 missile system and TPQ-37 mobile radar system.

“Regrettably, that is where [the investigation] stopped,” Tragakis said.

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