Germany’s Siemens was aware that its Greek subsidiary gave kickbacks to state officials in order to sway government procurement decisions in their favor, according to evidence gathered by Kathimerini.

Siemens is believed to have paid about 100 million euros in bribes over 17 years to Greek officials to help win supply contracts with state-controlled companies such as OTE telecom. On December 7, 2006, Michael Kutschenreuter, a previous executive of the Siemens telecoms equipment unit, told an investigating magistrate that in 2003 he had been asked by the head of Siemens Hellas, Michael Christoforakos, for more money for bribes. “I told him that I do not want to have these sorts of issues in Greece and that he should speak with Reinhard Siekaczek (who handled the money),” Kutschenreuter told a German magistrate.

“I then spoke with Siekaczek and told him that it would be stupid if we gave a solution to Christoforakos’s problems.” The last time the previous Siemens executive allegedly consented to bribe money was during the 2004 pre-election period.