Probe requested into leak of names of MPs with foreign accounts
The general secretary for public revenues, Haris Theoharis, on Monday asked for an probe into a leak of the names of three MPs who are under investigation in connection with money that was transferred abroad between 2009 and 2012.
Earlier in the day, the Finance Ministry released a statement aimed at curbing speculation following a report in Proto Thema newspaper on Sunday that said MPs were being checked as part of a probe into whether money deposited by Greeks abroad has been declared to the local tax authorities.
The ministry said that following a first round of investigations into 24,710 cases, inspectors were checking Vassilis Kikilias of ruling New Democracy, Maria Repousi of Democratic Left and Vassilis Kapernaros of Independent Greeks. The wives of Kapernaros and Nikos Sifounakis, a former PASOK minister, were also being investigated, it said.
The ministry made no reference to the amounts involved but, according to Proto Thema, each of them transferred more than 1 million euros to foreign banks. Kikilias was the first to refute media speculation that he had done anything wrong. In a statement, he said the income he earned before entering politics, when he was a basketball player and a doctor, had been fully taxed and was deposited in Greece. He added that the money has been declared on his derivation of wealth (“pothen esches”) form, which all lawmakers have to submit.
In a post on her Facebook page, Repousi said the money has been declared to tax authorities, adding that it was sent abroad to pay “academic and medical fees of relatives.”
Kapernaros also rejected the allegations, saying they were designed to harm his potential candidacy for Athens mayor.
