Businessman gets more time to respond to arms kickbacks claims

Prominent businessman and arms dealer Constantinos Dafermos on Wednesday was given additional time to prepare his defense on charges of bribery and money laundering in connection with an ongoing probe into millions of euros’ worth of kickbacks paid in armament procurements.

Dafermos, who is to reappear before an investigating magistrate on Friday, is expected to deny the charges and claim that the Greek state had suffered no losses as a result of the purchase of Kornet anti-tank missiles more than a decade ago. Dafermos’s son and a close associate were also arrested earlier this week in connection with the same probe.