Former socialist PASOK ministers Vaso Papandreou and Yiannos Papantoniou are taking the stand at the trial of former PASOK defence minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos who is appealing against his 20-year conviction on charges of criminal action in the purchase of German type 214 submarines and money laundering.

Like former prime minister Costas Simitis and Evangelos Venizelos, it is now Papantoniou and Papandreou’s turn to appear before the  5-membered Felony Appeal Court and recount information from the time that Tsohatzopoulos held the post of defence minister.

Papandreou said that the approval of KYSEA staff concerning arms is just a typical procedure. Asked if there could have been bribery, she said that it was possible. “I was a member of KYSEA that met when there were issues,” she said. “The Defence Minister would make and introductions, we had suggestions at the time when we went to KYSEA but KYSEA did not have the authority to control decisions. I participated in these meetings but don’t remember details, as 20 years have passed…” She said that at the time when decisions were made “we made decisions, but we neither had the time nor ability to know the procedure. It was impossible for us to say that we wanted, for instance, weapon A or weapon B.”

The call for members of the Government Council of Foreign and Defence (KYSEA) to appear at the court was not permitted due to the fact that the former minister is being charged and not the way in which arms procurements are made by KYSEA.

Simitis-Venizelos

Simitis and Venizelos’ testimonies were particularly scathing. Simitis stated that he believed that bribery was “possible” in the case of procurements. While on the stand, Simitis regretted the “wretched transgressions” that took place during his tenure as prime minister.

On his part, Venizelos said that he had only participated in only one KYSEA meeting and was not involved in the purchase of an anti-missile system. Like Simitis, he admitted that bribery was possible “on all levels, in all contracts, in all supplies, in all sectors, from the Church to charitable organizations” while he did not fail to note that his party has “suffered politically and socially” from the high-profile Tsohatzopoulos’ trial.

Venizelos, during his testament had argued that Tsohatzopoulos’ wife, Vicky Stamati, and daughter Areti Tsohatzopoulou were not involved in the case.