Greece’s Authority for Combating Money Laundering authority has ordered the opening of of ex-PM Costas Simitis’ bank accounts including those of his family and the accounts of public order minister during Simitis’ administration, Michalis Chrysohoidis.

“The pre-announced operation to prosecute me does not touch me. History is not written by fleeting occupants of the executive authority. Obviously, the examination of my bank accounts is welcome. I have nothing to hide,” Mr Simitis stated.
“Related articles are based on slander, to which I shall respond when I confirm who is involved,” he added implying that the order to investigate was essentially granted by current Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

In fact, the decision to open the accounts came following the testimony former executive at the Thales company, of Michel Josserand, a which had undertaken the modernisation Of Hellenic Navy frigates and came under investigation after bribe allegations related to the procurement of the C4I security system for the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Meanwhile, ex-deputy public order minister Evangelos Malesios, who resigned in April, 2003, amid charges that he favoured a consortium that had undertaken Olympics security is also being investigated, Kathimerini reports.

Malesios was vice-president of an inter-ministerial committee encharged with overseeing Olympics security, which was awarded to the SAIC company, a US-based multinational with prior experience in Olympics security and was living rent-free in a villa owned by Altec company owner Thanasis Athanasoulis, who had a substantial stake in SAIC.

Former PASOK minister Mr Chrysohoidis, confirmed that his bank accounts have been opened for further investigation while speaking on the Athens TV channel Skai on Wednesday morning, “let them open whatever they want,” he said.

“They have for a some time now tried to implicate Costas Simitis, and they are now involving his wife and brother in… testimony by a former Thales executive, which was interested in the C4I; who was found guilty in France because he could not prove what he was alleging.”

Mr Simitis’ brother, emeritus law professor Spiros Simitis, is also being investigated by both German and Greek authorities following reports about 800,000 euros he allegedly received.