Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-04-13

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK on bonds issue, 'Sea Diamond'

[01] PASOK on bonds issue, 'Sea Diamond'

According to Efthymiou, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis was "leading the operation to cover up the scandal over the bonds" and the role of government members, while Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis was attempting to interfere with the course of justice and Employment Minister Savvas Tsitouridis was using lies in a desperate mud-slinging attempt against PASOK.

"This cover up operation will fail because the demand to 'give the money back to the funds' cannot be circumvented," he stressed.

He was referring to revelations that state pension funds had invested in high-risk structured bonds issued by the state, rather than safer regular bonds, possibly acquired at well above their market value.

The stock brokerages that handled the transactions and earned the commission were all linked to the ruling New Democracy party and friends of the finance minister, Efthymiou added.

He was strongly critical of the minister's Thursday press conference on the issue, saying that Alogoskoufis' claim that the purchase of structured bonds was a "normal practice" and not illegal raised "major issues" in terms of interfering with justice.

The PASOK spokesman said that the line taken by Alogoskoufis could be seen as an attempt to dictate the basis of a non-guilty verdict to courts.

Tsitouridis came under fire for his statements to the state-run television channel NET on Friday, in which he counter-attacked the main opposition with facts that Efthymiou claimed were false and inaccurate.

The spokesman repeated a demand that a full list of the pension funds that bought structured bond and the board decisions that gave the go-ahead for these purchases be made public, as well as the commission system used and the size of the commissions given.

On sinking of the 'Sea Diamond'

In addition to the above, Efthymiou accused the merchant marine minister of botched handling in the "Sea Diamond" rescue operation after the ship's captain issued a distress signal and the vessel began sinking.

He said that the minister was responsible for the operation based on Greek laws and international treaties and demanded that Kefaloyiannis outline the reasons why he made choices that led to the sinking of an "ecological time bomb" in the heart of the Aegean.

"If he did not make these choices himself, then we have a question of ignorance and dereliction of duty," he added.

In either case, a minister with such political behaviour could not be a minister in any government, the spokesman said.

Asked whether the ship owner was among those business people supported by New Democracy, Efthymiou said there were indications of favourable treatment for the specific shipping firm by the merchant marine ministry.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of PASOK spokesman Petros Efthymiou.

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