Greek businessman sought on tax evasion, money-laundering charges

Police on Tuesday were seeking the owner of a drinks company after a prosecutor issued tax evasion and money-laundering charges against him.

The case concerns 10.5 million euros found in an account in his name and is part of an ongoing investigation into the so-called Lagarde list of wealthy Greeks.

Police had not found the businessman by late Tuesday night and the prosecutor who issued the warrant against him, Eleni Touloupaki, ordered that he not be permitted to leave the country.

The warrant will automatically become a European warrant if it is established that he is not in Greece.

According to sources, the businessman had been given several opportunities to pay his taxes but had not responded to overtures.

It is also reported that, following the arrest in April of Leonidas Bobolas, the CEO of Greek construction giant Ellaktor, who paid 1.8 million euros in outstanding dues to the state, several entrepreneurs have voluntarily visited prosecutors to pay some 3.5 million euros in outstanding taxes and fines.