Ex minister rails against wife’s detention
Former defense minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who is in pre-trial custody for money laundering, on Wednesday described as «unfair and inhuman» the detention of his wife, Viki Stamati, who is being held ahead of trial for the same charges.
On Tuesday, an appeal by Stamati to be released so that she could be reunited with her 5-year-old son was rejected. Stamati had asked to be freed from the capital’s high-security Korydallos Prison and to be put under house arrest instead.
In a written statement, Tsochatzopuolos condemned the decision by the council of misdemeanors court judges, noting that it «offended fair and essential foundations of humanitarianism.» He added that the detention of his wife had not been based on any evidence or suggestion of her implication in punishable offenses.
The 73-year-old ex minister faces trial on charges money laundering in connection to alleged under-the-table payments for arms purchases that were siphoned off to offshore accounts, according to prosecutors.
