Ex-minister’s wife probed over defense deal kickbacks
The investigating magistrate probing a widening scandal involving kickbacks for state defense deals has summoned the wife of former Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou (photo) to explain the source of some 2 million euros in deposits found in a Swiss bank account in her name, Kathimerini understands.
Roula Kourakou, whose name was among more than 2,000 on the infamous Lagarde list of wealthy Greeks with Swiss bank accounts, is said to have consented to the opening of her account following a request by the magistrate, Gavriil Mallis. Mallis also summoned Papantoniou’s brother-in-law, Giorgos Kandalepas, and the latter’s wife, after a judicial investigation revealed that two payments – each worth 500,000 euros – were made from their accounts into that of Kourakou.
In December, prosecutors brought criminal charges against Papantoniou and Kourakou, over inaccurate source of wealth (“pothen esches”) declarations.
