Tsochatzopoulos' accounts frozen

All accounts of former Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos are frozen. The former minister is being held in police headquarters in downtown Athens and is expected to face the prosecutor on Monday on charges of “money laundering and abetting and promoting repeated passive bribery”.

The order to “freeze” his accounts and those of the other four people also arrested was given by Eleni Raikou, leader of the Primary Court.

The four are Akis' cousin, Nikos Zigras, the former minister’s accountant Efrosini Lambropoulou, George Sachpatzidis (a businessman and major shareholder in PAOK FC) and contractor Asterios Economidis, who was detained yesterday after a decision of the trial judge and prosecutor.

According to the mandate, there is a ban on withdrawing any money from any accounts or carrying out any other transactions.

The disclosure of findings preceded this late yesterday afternoon.

The 103 pages of findings available to protothema.gr describe the network of offshore bank accounts established by close relatives and associates of Mr. Tsochatzopoulos, who were trying to cover their tracks and clear the path of dirty money that the former Minister had been receiving from bribes for arms programs.