SDOE to investigate 5,000 individual and company accounts

Greece’s financial crimes unit, SDOE, has asked banks operating in the Greek market to access the accounts of some 5,000 individuals and companies, according to a document by Deputy Finance Minister, Giorgos Mavraganis. The document was transmitted to Parliament in response to a Parliamentary question by New Democracy deputy Antonis Bezas, Skai reported on Monday.

According to the document, 334 checks have already been conducted.

Meanwhile the publication of a list containing over 2,000 names of Greeks with alleged bank accounts in a Geneva branch of HSBC on Saturday, led to the arrest of the publication?s editor on Sunday.

Costas Vaxevanis, editor of investigative Hot Doc, was arrested on violation of privacy charges following the publication of what the magazine claimed to be the ?Lagarde? list, names passed on to former Finance Minister Giorgos Papaconstantinou by Christine Lagarde, at the time when the latter was French Finance Minister.

Vaxevanis was released later on Sunday and was expected to appear in court at noon on Monday.

Greek authorities did not verify the list’s authenticity.