Esches

The parliamentary committee that examines the derivation of wealth ("pothen esches") forms submitted by politicians and public servants said on Wednesday that it is shelving a case involving Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras.

The government intends to make a fresh attempt to update the regulations governing derivation of wealth ("pothen esches") forms, Alternate Justice Minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos announced on Tuesday, adding that new legislation would be drawn up after the holidays.

The Greek initials of the country's highest administrative court, STE, stand for "salvation of the elite," Health Minister Pavlos Polakis wrote in a sarcastic social media post on Monday night.

The Council of State, the country's highest administrative court, has deemed decisions by Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and Alternate Justice Minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos relating to asset source declarations ("pothen esches") submitted by civil servants and other professionals as illegal and void.

The parliamentary committee that inspects the so-called "pothen esches" declarations that politicians and other public servants are obliged to make annually regarding their source of wealth on Thursday indicted nine politicians to a prosecutor for not submitting those details last year.

A new clash broke out on Friday between the government and the judiciary after the Council of State indicated that Greek judges would not abide by a ministerial decision obliging them to submit their source of wealth declarations ("pothen esches") in the same way as journalists, public servants and others. 

Alternate Justice Minister Dimitris Papangelopoulos on Thursday said that a new ministerial decision will be issued to address the concerns expressed in a Council of State ruling issued earlier this week about the submission of asset source declarations ("pothen esches") by judges, journalists and public servants.

Judicial authorities have decided to shelve an investigation into New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis's wife over a derivation of wealth declaration ("pothen esches").

Owners of private television stations will have to submit declarations listing the provenance of all of their assets, a form known as "pothen esches" in Greek, after the Council of State Wednesday rejected a request by their union, EITISEE, that they be exempt from the obligation.

An Athens court on Wednesday imposed four-year jail sentences on former socialist finance minister Yiannos Papantoniou and his wife Stavroula Kourakou after finding them guilty of submitting inaccurate declaration of wealth statements ("pothen esches") in 2010, notably by failing to include a reference to 1.3 million euros in savings in a Swiss bank account in Kourakou's name.