Greek socialist MP and former minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos will spend Easter Sunday in jail.
The former minister, who was arrested on Wednesday morning, will be led this coming Monday to Judge Gabriel Malis in order to apologize for the incriminating accusations he faces.
Tsochatzopoulos asked the prosecutor for more time to prepare his pleas. “I wasn’t expecting this,” Tsochatzopoulos told journalists.
According to sources, Tsochatzopoulos spent his first night in jail “annoyed but did not have any special requirements,” which is quite contrary to his lifestyle so far – like his wedding at the Four Seasons 5-star hotel.
The former minister spent the night on the third floor of Athens General Police Directorate (GADA) in the holding cells of the security department for minors. He escaped the “tough” seventh floor, where serious criminals are being kept.
All of the Greek parties have made their specific comments on the case. Yannis Michelakis, spokesperson of ND, said yesterday that light is being shed on the corruption and year long despoiling of the Public Sector by the PASOK governments.
The leader of LAOS, George Karatzaferis, noted that this is an ideal development for some to present themselves as “adamant” and show-off before elections.
The Greek Communist Party described the arrest of Tsochatzopoulos as a political maneuver aiming at disorientating people.
“Finally, all the evidence resulted in justice being served,” said Dora Bakoyannis, president of Democratic Alliance.
SYRIZA pointed out that the arrest warrant against the former minister requires both judicial and political initiatives to be taken.
PASOK, on the contrary, decided to go for a low profile. However, members of the party underlined that Tsochatzopoulos has not been part of PASOK for the past two years, while others noted that the judicial authorities should have examined the case earlier. Eleftherios Venizelos condemned all those who try to make illegal profits from the state and abuse their political power for their personal interest.
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