Former minister Tassos Mantelis, who served under the 2000-2004 government of Costas Simitis, has been indicted by the Appeals justices council for submitting an inaccurate statement of his means and assets.
The charge is a misdemeanour and concerns the former minister's failure to disclose sums he received from the German multinational Siemens as a campaign contribution in 2006-2007. Mantelis admitted to receiving a donation from Siemens via a Swiss bank account in the name A. Rocos in his testimony to a Parliamentary committee examining the Siemens scandal.
The Council also decided to cease prosecution for a charge concerning the period June 2004 until June 2005 because it had become statute barred.
Mantelis is currently facing charges in connection with the Siemens kickbacks investigation and was released on bail of 200,000 euro and the condition that he does not leave the country. The charge against him says that Mantelis demanded a bribe from Siemens to be paid into the A. Rocos account, which was opened on his behalf by a close associate and had been used in 1998 and 2000 for the wire transfer of 450,000 German marks.
According to the charge against him, the money was given to secure approval of a contract to supply Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation digital centres.
source: ana
