Areti Tsochatzopoulos targeted by the prosecutors

While the advocates of Akis Tsochatzopoulos submitted an application during his arrest and detention, new evidence seems to be emerging against the former minister who has been imprisoned in Korydallos for a week, accused of money laundering and bribery a product of two arms programs he signed (German submarines and TOR-M1) during his term in the Ministry of National Defense. According to reports, it is now very likely that the indictment against the former minister will extend still further and the position of his daughter Areti is also quite difficult, as she will be facing the prosecutor this week also on charges of money laundering.

So far evidence exists, documents that the former minister kept in his office, whereby it is proven he knew that his cousin was handling the offshore companies through which the money was being laundered via real estate. Findings from searches s in the political office are also considered important. These will be transposrted to prosecutor Gabriel Mallis, who will study them and then decide on further actions.

As far as Areti Tsochatzopoulos is concerned, there is still an investigations being carried out by the Financial Crime Unit on how she obtained her properties besides the real estate on Dinokratous.

Suffice it to say that the conditions under which the daughter of the former minister took out a loan of 1.3 million euros are being held under the microscope of prosecutors Eleni Siskou and Evgenia Kivelou.

Specifically, their conclusion states that the property at Nikis and Plutarchou recorded two mortgages for an equal number of loans taken out by the daughter of the former minister, with the first loan agreement signed on 22.12.08 for EUR 750,000 and the second on 27.10.2009 for an amount of 550,000 euros.

However, as the FCU investigation shows “in terms of these loan agreements, any repayments and payments of annual installments are not included in the tax forms of A. Tsochatzopoulos”. The FCU also identified a loan with an agreement signed on 16.11.2009 for 1.2 million euros!

According to this data, the two prosecutors are saying that they must bring the agreements and the conditions to light and make it clear if the amounts of loans were disbursed and repaid or secured by adequate bank safeguard requirements.

A further element that the prosecutors are presenting is that the seller of the property is a resident of Geneva, while “at her home in Switzerland there were letters of correspondence between Nicholas Zigras, the UBS Swiss Bank and a Zurich insurance company”.

Also, a further investigation is required into the way the daughter mansged to acquire real estate of 211.20 sqm on Kefallinias 38 “for 395.155,20 euros, which is exactly its objective value”. The amount “was paid in cash before the contract draft and outside the notary office”.

Simulated trading with hot money!

Something similar happened, according to the findings, with the sale of the property at the confluence of Nikis 13 and Plutarchou. The price paid by A. Tsochatzopoulos to acquire this property was 50,000,000 drachmas and "GRD 10,000,000 was reportedly deposited with the attorney of the seller prior to the drafting of the contract and not before a notary, while the remaining amount of 40,000,000 drachmas was credited, and it was agreed the amount would be paid in February 1997. ".

On this tactic, and after presenting the contracts of land acquired within a decade by A. Tsochatzopoulos, his former wife Gudrun and Areti, his daughter, the two prosecutors argue that "in cases where the price is actually paid to the buyer because the transaction is real and not virtual, the price is paid in cash before the notary or by cheque, or in any case in a way that proves payment. Instead, the virtual trading (with a natural or legal person as the buyer and seller, both acting on behalf of the owner of real property) the price is lower than or equal to the objective value, but never more. " It is always paid in cash out of a notary office and there is no proof of payment."

Meanwhile, an ancient vase of unknown origin and value was found by the prosecutors at Akis Tsohatzopoulos’ home on Dionysius Areopagite, during searches carried out at the residence of the former minister.