The investigation into the so-called Lagarde List of 2,062 Greeks with $1.95 billion in the Geneva, Switzerland branch of HSBC has reportedly found that at least 20 top government officials are hiding assets of as much as 3 million euros in the names of their wives or other family members.
Former finance minister George Papaconstantinou is being prosecuted for his mishandling of the list after it was disclosed the names of three of his relatives had been erased. He denie any wrongdoing.
The officials who reportedly are trying to keep their income from being revealed are mainly from the Ministry of Transport and probers said they linked them to the accounts held in the names of their spouses or other family members. No one apart from Papaconstantinou is being prosecuted and Greece has yet to act to collect any potential taxes due from those on the list.
After six months of research it has been revealed that at least 20 people who have served as top executives in the public sector in the past, mainly supervised by the Ministry of Transport, have deposits that reach even the amount of 3.000.000 euros.
However, the accounts are not registered in their names, but in the names of their wives or of their very close relatives who declare the occupation of the “housewife”.
The findings are considered particularly important, as at least 20 people, who have served as appointed executives in public organizations, are being targeted. The investigations have shown that in the 2000s’, some women self-declared as “housewives”, had bank accounts in the HSBC of Geneva with amounts exceeding 3.000.000 euros.
Officials on the list are said to include those who worked as well at the major phone company OTE, the Hellenic Railways OSE, the water company EYDA, the Athens Urban Transport Organization OASA, and their subsidiaries. These executives are CEO’s, Administrative Board Members and high-ranking trade unionists who played a major role in the in procurement decisions. They were appointed by the relevant ministers of each period.
SDOE officials reportedly said they believed that bribery and corruption have been involved in the financial doings and so far the unit has reviewed the accounts of more than 1,600 people.
The list is named for former French finance minister Christine Lagarde who gave it to Papaconstantinou in 2010. He said it disappeared mysteriously. His successor as finance chief, current PASOK Socialist leader and Deputy Prime Minister Evangelos Venizelos, also had a copy and failed to act on it but is not being investigated in what critics said is an attempt by the ruling government of Prime Minister and New Democracy Conservative leader Antonis Samaras to shield his coalition partner.
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