Bluezoo
10-03-2005, 01:50 PM
Former Greek Minister Responds to Allegations Over Thales
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ATHENS
Former Greek defense minister Yannos Papantoniou said on Oct. 3 that he would take legal action against an allegation that French defense group Thales was prepared to pay him an illegal sales commission.
Papantoniou, now a Socialist opposition member of parliament, was responding to allegations made by a former executive at Thales, Michel Josserand.
Thales has denied a series of corruption allegations made by Josserand, and has begun defamation proceedings aginst him and the French Le Monde newspaper which first ran an interview with Josserand.
Papantoniou said in a statement: "I have asked (a) well-known French law firm to immediately take legal court means to protect the truth and my person."
The French newspaper Liberation has reported that Josserand testified in
May in 2002-2003 that Thales had set aside a commission fee for the then Greek defense minister during negotiations for a multi-million-euro security contract related to the Athens 2004 Olympics.
Josserand, who has since left Thales, is currently under investigation over a Nice tramway contract awarded during his tenure at the company.
Papantoniou was defense minister from July 2003 to March 2004.
"I went to Greece on several occasions in 2002 and 2003, and held meetings with Thales Greece chairman Mr R," Josserand told investigating judges in Nice, according to court documents seen by Liberation.
"He told me that we had to plan for a 7-10 percent commission fee for the Greek defense minister," he added.
Papantoniou dismissed the allegation as "despicable slander by a former employee held on corruption charges".
In the reported testimony, Josserand also implicated former Prime Minister
Costas Simitis and former public order minister Michalis Chrysohoides in the security contract deal, which Thales, acting as part of a multinational consortium, lost to a rival group headed by American contractors SAIC.
"I was told that we lost this contract because we aimed too low," Josserand said, according to Liberation.
"The Americans aimed for the public order minister and the prime minister," he said.
On September 30, former minister Chrysohoides said that he had never been involved in the security contract deal.
"Either this man is addled in the brain, or he is carrying out orders with sinister purposes," he said in a statement.
For the full text, go to:
http://defensenews.com/story.php?F=1149929&C=europe
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ATHENS
Former Greek defense minister Yannos Papantoniou said on Oct. 3 that he would take legal action against an allegation that French defense group Thales was prepared to pay him an illegal sales commission.
Papantoniou, now a Socialist opposition member of parliament, was responding to allegations made by a former executive at Thales, Michel Josserand.
Thales has denied a series of corruption allegations made by Josserand, and has begun defamation proceedings aginst him and the French Le Monde newspaper which first ran an interview with Josserand.
Papantoniou said in a statement: "I have asked (a) well-known French law firm to immediately take legal court means to protect the truth and my person."
The French newspaper Liberation has reported that Josserand testified in
May in 2002-2003 that Thales had set aside a commission fee for the then Greek defense minister during negotiations for a multi-million-euro security contract related to the Athens 2004 Olympics.
Josserand, who has since left Thales, is currently under investigation over a Nice tramway contract awarded during his tenure at the company.
Papantoniou was defense minister from July 2003 to March 2004.
"I went to Greece on several occasions in 2002 and 2003, and held meetings with Thales Greece chairman Mr R," Josserand told investigating judges in Nice, according to court documents seen by Liberation.
"He told me that we had to plan for a 7-10 percent commission fee for the Greek defense minister," he added.
Papantoniou dismissed the allegation as "despicable slander by a former employee held on corruption charges".
In the reported testimony, Josserand also implicated former Prime Minister
Costas Simitis and former public order minister Michalis Chrysohoides in the security contract deal, which Thales, acting as part of a multinational consortium, lost to a rival group headed by American contractors SAIC.
"I was told that we lost this contract because we aimed too low," Josserand said, according to Liberation.
"The Americans aimed for the public order minister and the prime minister," he said.
On September 30, former minister Chrysohoides said that he had never been involved in the security contract deal.
"Either this man is addled in the brain, or he is carrying out orders with sinister purposes," he said in a statement.
For the full text, go to:
http://defensenews.com/story.php?F=1149929&C=europe