Prosecutor investigates 37 submarine "kickback" cases

Summons to 37 persons considered to be suspects, will be sent out by the First Instance Court Prosecutor in the following days, concerning the case of supplying Type 214 submarines to the Navy.

The summons will be related to crimes of corruption, bribery and money laundering, and the persons called to account for their actions emerged from the data provided by the prosecution and the Financial Crime unit, which was sent to the Department of Economics a few days ago.

The 37 are mainly assumed to be non-military personnel of the Ministry of National Defence and the military, members of committees established for the procurement of submarines, but also private persons. All 37 will be held accountable, since it seems they have been involved in the case from 1998 - when it was decided that the submarine purchase be outsourced directly to German company HDW and Ferrostaal, and the Scaramanga Shipyards - until 2002, when amendments were made to the original contracts for financial benefits and more.

The prosecutor's investigation continues for the period after 2002, while the option of submitting a legal brief to Parliament about the possible existence of political liability, remains open. This issue will be judged by means of evaluating existing data, but also of that arising in the course of the investigation.

So far, the evidence seems to indicate state losses amounting to several million euro, if damages due to non-fulfillment of contracts are counted in. From the information available to the prosecution, originating from German courts, it seems the amount rises to 55 million euro which, according to German statements, went to “beneficial payments”.