OTE

A key witness in the Siemens bribery scandal trial, the ex-secretary of former Siemens executive Michalis Christoforakos, has claimed to have fallen victim to a violent assault by an unidentified man, sources indicated late on Friday.

By Vangelis Mandravelis

The judicial council of the Court of Appeals ruled on Monday that 64 defendants are being indicted to stand trial in the large-scale political bribery case of the so-called 8002 contract to digitize OTE telecom?s network in 1997. According to the case file, Siemens allegedly paid 70 million euros in kickbacks in order to sign the deal.

A total of 64 people were referred to trial by the Judicial Council of the Court of Appeal for their alleged participation in the corruptions and bribery scandal that broke out in Greece almost seven years ago, over deals between Siemens AG and Greek state-owned telecommunications company, OTE.

Greece's telecoms operator OTE said on Thursday it will resume dividend payment after four years after its fixed-line business at home stabilised for the first time in seven years.

The company, which is 40 percent owned by Deutsche Telekom, posted a 2.8 percent drop in fourth-quarter core profit, mainly hurt by lower revenues in Romania.

By Dimitra Manifava

Sportsland SA, owned by two of Greece?s most active entrepreneurs in tourism-related business ? Theodoros Vassilakis and Achilleas Konstantakopoulos ? is one of a number of firms to have submitted specific business plans and are still waiting for them to be processed by the Ministerial Committee for Strategic Investments (DESE).

Telekom invites offers for privatization adviser

BELGRADE -- Telekom Srbija has issued a public call for bids to select a privatization adviser for the sale of this public enterprise.

Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis efforts to rally support for Greece have met with market euphoria shown on the Athens Stock Exchange. Even though Germany has yet to officially agree to Varoufakis’ proposals concerning the linkage of Greek debt with growth, the markets have shown positivity with hefty gains.

BELGRADE - The Serbian parliament has adopted amendments to the laws on companies and Development Fund and ratified the loan contract for the privileged buyer for the second stage of the project related to the power station Kostolac B.

Athens-listed company Yalco Constantinou SA announced the expansion of its operations in Cyprus.

The distributor of household goods and hotel equipment has created a wholly owned subsidiary with 5,000 euros capital.

[Reuters]