It was reported in December that MP Pavlos Haikalis of Greece was offered roughly two or three million euros to vote for the Greek president. Even with recordings of the conversation as proof, the case was thrown out due to a supposed lack of evidence.
On December 12th, Giorgos Apostolopoulos, a financial consultant with close ties to major international banks, arranged a meeting with Haikalis where at some point during the conversation, he jokingly offered the MP a bribe. Things became serious, however, after Haikalis showed interest.
“I had two meetings that were recorded. They gave me 700,000 euros in cash as a first installment and following this an agreement for bank loans, as well as contracts with an ad agency. I have made a submission to prosecutor (Panos) Panayiotopoulos and main prosecutor (Isodoros) Dogiakos,” Haikalis said in an interview.
Apostolopoulos claims his goal was to “determine the real motives for [Haikalis’s] dealings in politics and the ANEL party as well as determine his moral-political poverty and the level that an active politician could sink at critical political junctures for the country, putting personal gain above all else.”
According to reports, both men had the room bugged for their own purposes.
The case was eventually dropped by prosecutors who claimed Haikalis obtained the video and audio footage of the meeting illegally, and as such, it cannot be used.
Sources:
Kathimerini. Neos Kosmos. Dec 23, 2014. (http://neoskosmos.com/news/en/Gov-t-seeks-better-result-in-second-presidential-vote)
To BHMA, English. Dec 23, 2014. (http://www.tovima.gr/en/article/?aid=661963)
Vibes, John. True Activist. Dec 29, 2014. (http://www.trueactivist.com/greek-politician-says-bankers-paid-him-millions-to-vote-for-president/)
It is really sad…and not only that Justice,in Greek is so superficial,corrupted and politically behaved…Haikalis even if he invested his money,and made some with the advice and colsultance of G.Apostolopoulos no-one can judge cause anyone could do that if you were in such a situtation…so the fact that he tried to reveal the total corruption of our country(I am a Greek citizen),has been of course oversaw!!!
Keep in mind that Tzohatzopoulos had the same bribe-thing situtation with millions on his position being stolen through his buying of old-rubbish submarines as new and fully technologically geared…
To use a greek word,
what happens here is totally tragelaphic!
Sakis,Greece