The 78-year-old representative of German arms company Wegmann Dimitris Papachristos is scheduled to state his plea today regarding the armament bribery scandal. While the 78-year-old has promised to cooperate, his attorney claims that Papachristos suffers from serious health problems, including amnesia.
Mr. Papachristos was implicated in the armament bribery scandal by the former deputy director of armaments at the Ministry of Defense Antonis Kantas. The former deputy director alleged that Mr. Papachristos gave him a 750,000 euro bribe in order to approve the purchase of 24 self-propelled PZH2000 cannons.
This armament deal which cost 195,709,774 euros was approved during Akis Tsohatzopoulos’ tenure as Minister of National Defense between the Greek state and Krauus – Maffei Wegmann. Mr. Papachristos is facing bribery and money laundering charges.
Efstathiou hospitalized
Meanwhile, the 83-year-old Panagiotis Efstathiou, who is also facing bribery and money laundry charges, has been hospitalized at the Red Cross hospital after stating his plea yesterday as he felt ill. The courts decided on Friday afternoon to release Mr. Efstathiou on bail, after taking his health into consideration.
Yesterday Mr. Efstathiou was pressured by the prosecution to cooperate, with the 83-year-old revealing the names of ten high-ranking military officers who received bribed. Amongst those are former leaders of the Army and Navy, as well high-ranking executives of Greek arms manufacturer EVO, including the best man of Akis Tsohatzopoulos and Yannis Sbokos, who is currently detained.
The prosecutors quizzed Mr. Efstathiou about the possible involvement of Yannos Papantoniou [pictured] and Michael Travlos, but the 83-year-old avoided mentioning the names of any politicians. Mr. Efstathiou had been called to testify before the courts in Bremen on an armament deal between his company, Atlas, and the Greek Ministry of National Defense when Mr. Papantoniou was Minister.
