Germans may prosecute Christoforakos
Greece’s bid to extradite ex-Siemens Hellas CEO Michalis Christoforakos could be dealt a blow as German prosecutors are considering filing charges against the former executive themselves, sources indicated yesterday. According to unconfirmed sources, the German authorities may charge Christoforakos with bribery and breach of faith. These charges would relate to incidents that have taken place since 2003 and are therefore not subject to the statute of limitations. Christoforakos is fighting his extradition to Greece and is actively seeking to be put on trial in Germany as this would make it highly unlikely that he would ever face a Greek judge as well. Greek judicial officials were in Munich this week to discuss Christoforakos’s possible extradition but it is believed that they failed to make any headway trying to convince their German counterparts that the former executive should be returned to Athens to stand trial. Sources have suggested that Christoforakos is willing to give German prosecutors damning evidence about Munich-based Siemens executives in return for being put on trial in Germany. A German court is due to hear the arguments in Christoforakos’s extradition case in the next couple of weeks. If the former Siemens Hellas CEO is not sent back to Greece, it will leave Greek judicial officials with a big hole in their investigation.
