Former finance minister acquitted by Athens court

Gikas Hardouvelis, a former finance minister, was acquitted on Monday of charges for failing to submit a declaration of assets ("pothen esches") form while he served interim premier Lucas Papademos, as an adviser from 2011 to 2012.

Hardouvelis, a finance minister under the former conservative-led coalition of Antonis Samaras, told a three-member Athens court that he didn't know he was supposed to submit a declaration form and did so once he realised he had to.

As an adviser to Papademos, Hardouvelis was legally obliged to submit a declaration of wealth form.