GREECE: Prime Minister Antonis Samaras says a decision by parliament to conduct an enquiry into a former finance minister shows the government is serious about tackling tax evasion
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327883
GREECE: Prime Minister Antonis Samaras says a decision by parliament to conduct an enquiry into a former finance minister shows the government is serious about tackling tax evasion
- Title: GREECE: Prime Minister Antonis Samaras says a decision by parliament to conduct an enquiry into a former finance minister shows the government is serious about tackling tax evasion
- Date: 18th January 2013
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JANUARY 18 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF PARLIAMENT ENTRANCE TO PARLIAMENT
- Embargoed: 2nd February 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Crime,Economy,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAAILFVDNASH9SUEZJCTAYTOLZQ
- Story Text: Greece's parliament voted early on Friday (January 18) to conduct a parliamentary enquiry into former Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou for his role in handling a list of possible tax evaders that has rattled the fragile ruling coalition government.
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras said the decision reflected the government's commitment to dealing with the issue of tax avoidance and called it a necessary step forward.
"This vote again shows the seriousness we are dedicating to doing these things, to the laws that we are passing and the future laws that we will be passing, in June, a big law for the tax reform. It's a necessary step forward," said Samaras.
In a relief for the government, Socialist chief Evangelos Venizelos, a former finance minister and one of three coalition leaders in the current government, escaped an inquiry into his handling of the list after lawmakers voted by a wide margin against the move.
A motion to investigate former prime ministers Lucas Papademos, a technocrat, and George Papandreou, a socialist, was also rejected in the late-night parliamentary vote.
"This action is the last chance the political system of the country has to show it has entered a new era. If even this effort fails, then things will become very difficult," said Democratic Left Party member Nikos Tsoukalis, one of the coalition partners.
The "Lagarde list" of about 2,000 wealthy Greeks with money in Swiss bank accounts has exploded into the latest political scandal in Greece, with many angry that successive governments failed to pursue those on the list while heaping austerity cuts on everyone else.
Tax evasion is a major problem in Greece, and has contributed to Greece's debt crisis.
Twists and turns in the scandal - including revelations that the list was misplaced, locked away in a cabinet, copied and tampered with - have further tainted a political class seen as corrupt and to blame for the nation's financial crisis.
The motion to investigate Papaconstantinou - expelled from the socialist PASOK party after names of three of his relatives were deleted from the 'Lagarde list' - was backed by 265 of 294 lawmakers. It had been expected to pass since it was backed by Samaras's government.
Samaras resisted calls by the opposition Syriza Party to support a probe into Venizelos, who was given the list when he succeeded Papaconstantinou as finance minister.
"For all the emphasis to fall only on the tampering of the list and only on a politically inactive and finished politician is a scandal within itself. A change in Greece would be if an active politician was investigated for possible criminal responsibilities. This takes place in other European countries, but unfortunately not yet in Greece," said senior SYRIZA Party deputy Dimitris Papadimoulis, referring to Papaconstantinou.
A motion to investigate former prime ministers Papademos and Papandreou brought by by the right-wing Independent Greeks and far-right Golden Dawn parties, failed to attract broader support.
The Lagarde list, named after former French finance minister Christine Lagarde who is now International Monetary Fund president, was first given to Athens by the French government in 2010 for Athens to look into whether any on the list were avoiding taxes. Little was heard of it until its existence was revealed in September last year.
Papaconstantinou, a U.S. and British-educated economist who served under Papandreou, has firmly denied tampering with the list, and says he is the victim of an attempt to incriminate him.
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