SDOE chief admits only fraction of names on Lagarde list have been checked
Of the 2,062 Greeks named on the Lagarde list of depositors with accounts in Switzerland, Greece’s Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE) has so far conducted checks on just 266, according to the agency’s chief, who told MPs on Tuesday that his service is suffering from a lack of trained personnel.
Appearing before Parliament’s ethics and institutions committee, SDOE head Stelios Stasinopoulos faced a barrage of questions about the list. He said that he expects 155 of the 266 checks being carried out on Greeks with deposits at the Geneva branch of HSBC to be completed by the end of this month. He added, however, that so far about 10 million euros that had not been declared to authorities was found in the accounts of six people on the list.
Stasinopoulos refused to divulge the names of the depositors who had hidden their wealth from Greek tax inspectors. A judicial council has ruled that ex-Finance Minister Giorgos Papaconstantinou should stand trial over allegations he removed the names of four relatives from the list he received from his then French counterpart, Christine Lagarde. Papaconstantinou denies the charges and his relatives insist they did not have any undeclared money in their Swiss bank accounts.
New horse meat scandal hits Holland
Dutch food authorities recall 24,000 pounds of horse sold as beef but the meat has already been eaten
By Bruno Waterfield, Brussels
3:27PM GMT 14 Jan 2014
The Dutch food authorities have issued an official recall for up to 11,000 kilos (24,000lb) of horse meat that was illegally sold as beef in Holland last year.
The horse meat came from 200 slaughtered animals originating in equestrian riding centres, pharmaceutical laboratories and private owners in France and entered the food chain at the height of an international scandal in 2013.
Included in the fraud was meat from dozens of horses that were used by a French pharmaceutical firm, Sanofi Pasteur, to develop serums against rabies and other diseases.
The meat, unfit for human consumption and accompanied by fake documents labelling it as beef, was delivered to five Dutch companies via Belgium between January and October last year.
The latest fraud involving 200 horse carcases was only discovered on 27 Dec 2013 after an investigation by officials from the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
German bank experiencing the wake of a currency scandal
After Libor case, the German bank has been rocked by another scandal – the manipulation of exchange rates. A dealer is already suspended. The case is tricky even for the board. By Jörg own village and Sebastian Jost
The scandal of manipulating exchange rates reached the German bank . At least one forex trader at Bank were suspended after information of the “world”. It is suspected that he had tampered with reference exchange rates of currencies, said people familiar with the investigations.
Having already due to manipulation of the reference rates such as Libor several employees had to go, so now another affair captures the bank.
What to remember the press conference of François Hollande
The Monde.fr | • Updated
At the third press conference of his mandate, Tuesday, Jan. 14, François Hollandehas announced the opening of several projects, particularly in terms of economy.To the first question, which referred her privacy in the light of recent revelations, the Head of State responded by promising clarification, but stressed that “private business is conducted in private” .
“I set a new goal: by 2017, for businesses and the self-employed, this is the end of family contributions, representing 30 billion euros of expenses ., announced the head of state C is the condition that the companies return margin – not for them toenjoy for their make any gift. “ Mr. Hollande insisted that “it is on offer that we must act.”
