A former minister for transport was arrested earlier this week in Greece for driving with fake licence plates and appeared before a prosecutor.
Michalis Liapis (62), who was minister for transport and communications from 2004 to 2007, was stopped and cited by a motorcycle police in Loutsa, north-east of Athens, after going through a stop sign.
Liapis, a cousin of former New Democracy prime minster Kostas Karamanlis, was also found to be driving without insurance and did not have his driver’s licence on him either, claiming he had returned the plates for the jeep he was driving to the tax office.
“I had left the car in a garage in Porto Rafti but I was about to go on a trip to Asia and was afraid the battery would go flat,” the ex-minister said by way of explaining why he was driving his SUV car. “It was unfortunate. I will be punished appropriately.”
Liapis was first elected to parliament in 1985, keeping his seat until 2009. Before that, he held a position in the president’s office. He has been deputy minister for commerce (1992), minister for transport and communications (2004-2007) and minister for culture (2007-2009).
He is the author of three political books: For a Radical Renewal, For a New Morality and For a Creative Overthrow. According to his declaration of wealth statement for 2011, he earned €109,223.68 while his wife earned €29,250.
Liapis’ court hearing, which was to take place on Thursday, was postponed for December 30. As a result of this incident the former minister has been expelled by his party New Democracy.
Source: enetenglish,
ekathimerini