Parl’t to begin defense procurement probe
Parliament?s defense procurement committee is on Monday to launch the next phase of an investigation into the purchase of four German submarines by the Hellenic Navy a decade ago.
On July 1, MPs voted in favor of the indictment of former Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who has been accused of accepting bribes in connection with the deal.
Now the procurement committee is to summon all the people who served as general directors of procurement at the Defense Ministry between 2002 and 2009.
The first witness being called to testify is the former general director of the National Defense General Staff, Yiannis Travlos, who served during Tschotzopoulos? term as minister between 1996 and 2001. Travlos?s successors are to be summoned later in the week.
On Friday the head of the Finance Ministry?s Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE), Ioannis Diotis, and the current general director for procurement at the Defense Ministry, Dimitris Georgiopoulos, were summoned to testify before the parliamentary committee. Diotis said he would submit by next Wednesday an updated report with details regarding the execution of defense contracts.
