Karatzaferis charged over false declaration of assets
LAOS leader Giorgos Karatzaferis (photo) was charged on Wednesday with making an inaccurate declaration of assets, a crime, as well as involvement in an offshore firm, which is a misdemeanor, though judicial authorities did not charge him with bribe taking or money laundering in connection with more than 1 million euros in an offshore firm in his name that a judicial probe suggested was a payment for mediating in a defense procurement deal.
Karatzaferis is alleged to have received a total of 1.6 million euros, in two payments made in 2007 and 2008, from a businessman who had mediated in the purchase of Super Puma helicopters for the government of the time, Alexandros Tsatsos.
Investigating magistrate Gavriil Mallis is to summon Tsatsos and another arms mediator, Stavros Komnopoulos, on Monday along with three retired army officers who have been implicated in the helicopter deal, sources indicated on Wednesday.
