Former FinMin Papantoniou released on bail

Former Finance minister Yannos Papantoniou who testified before appeals magistrate Meropi Poulaki-Kyriakidou on Tuesday was released on 100,000 euros bail, on the case of two inaccurate source of wealth statements, one of which bears criminal charges.

The former minister and his wife, Stavroula Kourakou, are being investigated for allegedly inaccurate source of wealth ("pothen esches") tax statements and tax evasion, with the data traced through a review of the so-called Lagarde list of Greek depositors at HSBC Switzerland and a deposit of 1.3 million euros held by Kourakou, who has been charged with complicity in her husband's tax statements. Kourakou was also released on 50,000 euros bail.

The statements related to 2009 assets relates to misdemeanours, while that for 2010 relates to criminal charges. In addition, both Papantoniou and Kourakou are being charged of not submitting a source of wealth statement for 2008 (a misdemeanour), over which they have provided testimony and been released on bail totalling 250,000 euros.

In statements to the relevant Parliament committee, Papantoniou had said he was unaware of the 1.3 million euro amount, as the account had been opened in 2000 and related to savings of Kourakou and her former husband for their two sons' education. He said that in 2010 the money was brought back to Greece and was turned over to his wife's sons.

Papantoniou was Finance and Economy minister from 1994 to 2001.