Corruption probes ready to bear fruit

The arrest last week of businessman Thomas Liakounakos on charges that he bribed politicians as part of an arms deal more than a decade ago is likely to mark the beginning of a wide-ranging crackdown by prosecutors on corruption in public life, Kathimerini understands.

In the coming weeks, prosecutors are expected to bring criminal charges against individuals implicated in several state defense deals. The prosecutors are awaiting responses to hundreds of appeals to judicial authorities for access to bank accounts and offshore firms in Switzerland, Monaco, Austria and Germany. The majority of the most advanced cases relate to defense deals signed in the decade from 2000 to 2010, Kathimerini understands.