In defence of Yanis Varoufakis -- Mohamed El-Erian

[Eugene]

1. Yanis Varoufakis may face criminal charges over Greek currency plan

Source: The Guardian

Yanis Varoufakis may face criminal charges over Greek currency plan

Helena Smith in Athens
Wednesday 29 July 2015 17.29 BST

The scene has been set for possible criminal charges to be brought against Greece’s former finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, following revelations of his secret plan to establish an alternative currency in the event of the country leaving the eurozone.

The nation’s most senior state prosecutor, Efterpi Koutzamani, ordered the Greek parliament to examine an array of complaints brought by private citizens against Varoufakis. The supreme court prosecutor, who played a leading role in putting the far right Golden Dawn party on trial, also asked a magistrate to investigate whether criminal charges should be brought against non-political figures who allegedly hacked taxpayers’ accounts to set up the parallel payment system.

“I would not want to be in Varoufakis’s shoes,” the conservative MP and shadow finance minister Anna Asimakopoulou said. “I think that it is highly likely he will end up in a courtroom.”

As a sitting MP, the economist-turned-politician enjoys immunity from prosecution. But the prosecutor’s move paves the way for criminal charges to be brought against him if parliament determines there are grounds to establish a special congressional committee to probe the allegations.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/29/yanis-varoufakis-may-face-criminal-charges-over-greek-currency-plan