The Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) government has accused former FinMin Gikas Hardouvelis of exporting large sums of money to overseas bank accounts, a charge that sparked the latest political row between the government and main opposition New Democracy (ND) party.

According to a report in the Sunday weekly Real News, the minister in charge of a new anti money-laundering portfolio, Panagiotis Nikoloudis, sent an urgent circular to Parliament requesting that Hardouvelis’ finances be investigated.

Nikoloudis claims that the former conservative government finance minister sent money abroad in 2012 that was not included in his statement of means and assets, which he was obliged to submit as a former official adviser to the then prime minister from November 2011 through May 2012, as well as in his capacity as finance minister from June 2014 until January 2015.

In a written response, Hardouvelis referred to an “oversight” on is part for failing to submit the assets statement, clarifying that the transferred money has been taxed in Greece and concerns income accrued as a result of his and his wife’s employment. The money in foreign bank accounts abroad was as a result of work in those countries over many years, he added.

Hardouvelis also responded that certain amounts had been made when he was not in public office, hence excluded from being recorded on the means and assets report — a mandatory obligation for practically all office-holders and high-ranking civil servants in the country. Finally, he said that over the last few years he had declared the same amounts to US tax authorities (FBAR).