Greek publisher to answer to money-laundering charges
Investigating magistrate Ioanna Hatzaki has summoned publisher Antonis Delatolas to respond to money-laundering charges linked to an ongoing investigation into Proton Bank for issuing millions of euros in nonperforming loans to businesses linked to Lavrentis Lavrentiadis, its former main shareholder, and his business partner Petros Kyriakidis.
Delatolas has been summoned to explain a 500,000-euro transfer in January 2012 to an account in his name from a Cypriot account held by Kyriakidis. Delatolas has claimed the money was for the purchase of a minority stake in his satirical weekly To Pontiki.
Kyriakidis’s accounts in Greece have been frozen since 2012 in connection with a probe into the embezzlement of 700 million euros from Proton. He has fled the country. An arrest warrant has also been issued for his son, Giorgos Kyriakidis.
