ATHENS: One of Greece’s top businessmen, Ellaktor Managing Director Leonidas Bobolas, appeared before a public prosecutor after his arrest by the Financial Crime Unit today, accused of major tax evasion but was subsequently released after paying the sum of 1.8 million euros, based on favorable measures recently passed by the Greek Finance Ministry for those repaying sums owed to the Greek State.
Bobolas had been arrested on the basis of evidence uncovered in the so-called “Lagarde list” investigation, which showed a discrepancy of 1.866 million euros between his declared income and deposits at HSBC’s Geneva branch. The list has been leaked by an HSBC employee to the French authorities and was then forwarded to the Greek government by then French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde.
The total amount owed by Bobolas had subsequently reached 4.1 million euros, after the addition of fines and interest. According to sources at the public prosecutors’ department, Bobolas had been asked to proceed with the payment of this amount in mid-April but had raised legal objections.
