The exclusive report in Proto Thema on Sunday, revealing that Alternate Health Minister Pavlos Polakis was granted a consumer loan of €100,000 by state-run Attica Bank has taken a new twist.
In a response to the article on his Facebook wall, Mr Polakis claimed he took out the loan to cover professional and personal needs since his salary as a Minister (€7,000 a month) was less than his income before 2015 when he was voted in as an MP. As he wrote in his post he was earning double and triple before he assumed office as a Minister.
However, his source of wealth tax statements submitted in the Greek parliament show he earned 100,000 euros in 2015, while his previous declarations revealed he made half that amount.
These facts raise the inescapable question: Is Mr Polakis lying about his income earnings or did he conceal income from the tax office?
Only Mr Polakis can make clarifications on the question.
“And because I was compelled to stop in October 2015 – due to my Ministerial responsibilities- practicing the profession of ICU-surgeon which had secured me double and triple the income from today’s money…”, Mr Polakis claimed in his controversial post.
The source of wealth tax statement he has personally submitted to the relevant parliamentary committee shows the divergence in the income of Mr Polakis and his wife in the period from 2012 to 2015. The evidence he has produced in parliament about his income status contradicts his claims on Facebook.

Mr Polakis had managed to get the loan approved via express procedures in a pre-election period by a bank that is not systemic and whose administration is appointed and controlled by the government.