Insurance tycoon and television station owner Dimitris Kontominas was indicted on tax evasion and money laundering charges on Thursday -- with the latter angrily linking the action to the current political furor in Greece over broadcast licensing.
Kontominas’ Alpha TV was one of a handful of national television broadcasters that did not win one of four licenses awarded to the highest bidder in a controversial electronic auction managed by the government nearly two months.
The alleged offences reportedly stem from deviations between Kontominas’ bank deposits and declared income in the period from 2006 to 2008.
The indictment refers to a figure of 48 million euros.
Kontominas strongly denied the charges against him, noting, among others, that he has no connection whatsoever with the so-called “Lagarde list” purportedly listing Greek citizens with bank accounts at a HSBC branch in Geneva in previous years.
“The criminal case against me, at this juncture, is clearly part of an effort target me, and related to the ongoing developments over (TV) channels’ licensing; one that aims to mislead public opinion from the unprecedented attack on plurality and mass media’s independence.”
Kontominas had previously sought redress with an arbitration board affiliated with the finance ministry’s general secretariat for public revenue. A subsequent re-audit of the well-known Greek business executive’s finances confirmed the previous infractions initially imposed against him.
As a result, the first instance court prosecutor’s office filed the charges, with the relevant indictment conveyed to a special investigative magistrate.
