New charges filed in blackmail case involving publisher Mavrikos
New evidence has led the Corruption Magistrate handling an investigation into alleged blackmail by three journalists - among them the publisher Panagiotis Mavrikos - to bring additional criminal charges in connection with the case, against senior executives in a bank and a state-owned company, sources revealed on Friday (10/06/2016).
Mavrikos was one of three journalist under investigation for blackmail targeting a senior employee at a state-owned company, as well as bribery to extract inordinately high advertising contracts.
Based on the new evidence received a few days earlier, 1st Special Examining Magistrate Vassilis Ziakas had brought additional charges of breach of faith against all parties responsible, compounded by laws on embezzlement for the public sector. According to sources, the document indicates that unusually large sums in the advertising budget of the specific bank and state company, much greater than those normally spent for this purpose.
After the additional charges were brought, the case passed to Corruption Magistrate Costas Sargiotis, who must now uncover the specific bank and state company staff responsible for approving the disproportionately high advertising spending. This will involve requests to lift bank record privacy before the specific individual are summoned to testify.
The charges brought in the alleged blackmail case include those of forming a criminal organisation, collusion to commit extortion and an additional charge of offering bribes to a state employee to commit actions contrary to his or her duties, for sums exceeding 150,000 euros, combined with laws on embezzlement from the state. The last charge also signalled the expansion of the investigation to find the employees that accepted the bribes.
The three already charged in connection with the case were Mavrikos, jailed journalist Panagiotis Moussas, who is being held on remand over the case and Christos Fragos.
The sources said the magistrate's case may be further expanded to other institutions and state organisations not currently included in the case, in order to locate similar instances of excessive advertising spending.
According to the magistrate handling the case, the suspect advertising sums were directed exclusively to Mavrikos' firm and the recipients of the bribes clearly acted in order to benefit Mavrikos and themselves. The state company CEO, meanwhile, is believed to have split the sums given to Mavrikos into smaller amounts in order to avoid putting them before the consideration of the board, as he was obliged to do for payments exceeding 150,000. By making several payments of 149,400 euros, he was able to sign off on the payments himself.
The case returned to the forefront when the Mavrikos family car burst into flames while speeding down the Attiki Odos motorway on Thursday. DNA tests have now confirmed that the driver, who was charred beyond recognition, was Panagiotis Mavrikos and authorities are now awaiting for an experts' report on the condition of the car to rule out the possibility of sabotage.
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