The former Postbank manager Angelos Filippidis who is accused of playing a prominent role in the scandal related to a number of high risk unsecured loans has been released by the Turkish courts of Istanbul, which rejected the Greek extradition request.
The Turkish court held that the international warrant for Mr. Filippidis’ arrest was illegal, as it had been issued before the bank manager was given the opportunity to state his plea before a judge. The Greek prosecution has requested from the Turkish authorities to keep the former Postbank manager detained.
At the hearing Mr. Filippidis explained that he wanted to return to Greece and appear before the courts and that he was being persecuted politically due to his friendship and association with former Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis. The courts ruled that Mr. Filippidis must remain in Turkey to deal with his legal obligations, including the second international warrant for his arrest that is still in effect.
