Reuters — Anti-corruption prosecutors investigating the finances of a Greek state entity raided the office of the wife of Central Bank head Yannis Stournaras and confiscated documents and electronic data, court sources said on Thursday.
Lina Nikolopoulou-Stournaras has denied wrongdoing in the case, into possible illegal financial transactions by the centre for disease control and prevention (KEELPNO).
Responding to the raid, she accused investigators of trying to smear her husband. “All realise that the real target is my husband, so that specific goals and choices can be served,” she said in a statement, without giving further details.
As part of the probe into KEELPNO – which is under the authority of the health ministry and receives state funding – prosecutors are looking into whether it illicitly transacted a contract with a consortium including advertising company Mindwork Business Solutions Ltd, owned by Nikolopoulou-Stournaras.
Noting that the raid took place at its headquarters and not at Nikolopoulou’s home, the company said its activities were always within the law, adding: “The noise that was caused is targeted and unjustified.”
Stournaras, who has been head of the central bank since June 2014 after serving as finance minister under the previous conservative-led government, has no links to the firm.
He called Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the two agreed that the probe would not affect relations between the government and the Bank of Greece, a government official told Reuters, declining to be named.
Earlier this year, the anti-corruption prosecutor charged the 2011-2013 managers of KEELPNO with breach of duty. Read more
