Greek businessman arrested over Proton banking scandal
Analysis & Opinion
ATHENS Dec 13 (Reuters) - Prominent
Greek businessman Lavrentis Lavrentiadis was arrested on Thursday over his
alleged involvement in a banking scandal, a court official and a police source
said.
Lavrentiadis was arrested at his home in
a seaside suburb of Athens. The 40-year-old businessman will appear before a
prosecutor on Friday who will decide if he should stay in jail or be released
pending trial, the sources said.
Lavrentiadis's arrest was reported by
Greece's ANT1 television channel and other local media.
A spokesman for Lavrentiadis was not
immediately available for comment. Lavrentiadis has previously denied any
wrongdoing.
The police had no comment.
Lavrentiadis began his career in the
chemicals industry and then moved into banking and media. A Greek prosecutor
filed felony charges against him earlier this year in relation to the collapse
of Proton Bank, a small Greek financial institution in which he was the biggest
shareholder.
If convicted, he could face life in
prison. Another 27 suspected associates, including Proton executives, also face
trial.
On Tuesday, a court ordered the
confiscation of Lavrentiadis's property and assets, the court official and
police source said.
Proton became the first Greek bank to be
effectively nationalised after it fell under a bank rescue fund set up by Greece and its international lenders.
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