Cypriot ex interior minister to be extradited for Greek money laundering trial
A top Cyprus court ruled on Monday in favor of extraditing former Cypriot Interior Minister Dinos Michailides to Greece to be tried in connection with a huge money laundering racket centered around former Greek Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos and several others.
Michailides should be extradited to Greece within 10 days at the latest, the Cyprus Supreme Court ruled, rejecting an appeal lodged by Michailides’ lawyers to a Limassol court.
Michailides, whose son Michalis has also been implicated in the case, is to remain in custody until his extradition, sources said.
Nikos Zigras, Tsochatzopoulos’ first cousin and former close confidant, has claimed to have been given a briefcase containing 80 million drachmas (approximately 230,000 euros) by Michailides to pass on to Tsochatzopoulos in 1998.
