Magistrate to move ahead with property seizures in ex-minister probe
A magistrate investigating a complex money-laundering racket centered around former Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos plans to seize properties believed to belong to the former Socialist strongman and worth an estimated 10 million euros, Kathimerini understands.
Gavriil Mallis will take action once an investigation is able to prove that the properties — all located abroad — and a series of previously unknown bank accounts are linked to the ex-minister, who is in pretrial custody. According to sources, six more suspects have been linked to these properties but it is unclear whether any of them are the relatives and close associates of Tsochatzopoulos who have been implicated in the money-laundering racket.
Meanwhile a perusal of the minister?s personal documents reinforces allegation that he paid hundreds of thousands of euros to fly in Greeks from the Black Sea region and Russia to vote in elections and bought 1,150 season tickets at Thessaloniki?s PAOK soccer club.
