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ATHENS, Greece – The former finance minister who handled Greece’s first international bailout in 2010 has denied criminal charges of allegedly removing relatives’ names from a list of Greeks holding Swiss bank accounts with HSBC.
Speaking in court Thursday, George Papaconstantinou claimed the three names were intentionally deleted to inculpate him. He accused his Socialist party of “throwing him to the dogs” after the scandal became public, instead of defending him.
The 53-year-old Papaconstantinou has been charged with doctoring a document and attempted breach of faith. The criminal charges carry potentially hefty imprisonment sentences as they include the aggravating factor of being offenses against the state.
The list of about 2,000 account holders was sent to Papaconstantinou by French authorities for use in a potential tax investigation. The trial resumes Tuesday.
