Former Pasok minister Akis Tsohadzopoulos was remanded in custody pending trial at Korydallos prison on Tuesday, on foot of an order issued the previous by an examining magistrate and prosecutor order that he be remanded in custody pending trial.
Tsohadzopoulos faces money laundering charges that centre on kickbacks that he allegedly received in order to approve the purchase of the TOR-M1 missile systems and submarines for the Greek Navy
The delay in bringing him to prison resulted in Easter Monday being a public holiday. He had been kept at Athens police headquarters since his arrested on Wednesday.
Prosecutors began taking testimony from three other defendants in the case money-laundering case on Tuesday. Efrosini Lambropoulou, an accountant and legal representative of the three offshore companies linked with the former minister, was remanded in custody by decision of the examining magistrate and prosecutor, after the conclusion of her testimony.
Nikos Zigras, a cousin and close associate of Tsochadzopoulos, was the next to appear.
Yiorgos Sachpatzidis, an entrepreneur and major shareholder of PAOK FC, is the third defendant.
The bank accounts of all three were frozen on Friday.
Tsochadzopoulos, 72, who has held various portfolios including defence since the 1980s, faces felony charges in relation to property deals and possible tax violations.
Tsochadzopoulos nearly became prime minister in 1996 only to be narrowly defeated in an internal party vote to become chairman of the then ruling Socialist PASOK party.
Since quitting politics in 2009, he has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in a string of affairs investigated by court prosecutors, including the use of offshore companies to buy a luxurious mansion in Athens and the sale of German submarines to the Greek navy.
Source: Athens News
