Prosecutors summon ex-PM’s adviser to face questions

Stavros Papastavrou, an adviser to former prime minister Antonis Samaras, has been called for questioning by financial prosecutors in connection to the ownership of an offshore firm.

Papastavrou recently paid a 3.4-million-euro fine to ensure that authorities did not launch a criminal investigation against him for tax evasion and money laundering.

An account belonging to Virgin Islands-registered company Starbi was included on the Lagarde list of depositors with savings in a Swiss branch of HSBC.

Papastavrou, though, denies being the owner of Starbi. He insists that the owner is one of his clients, Greek-Israeli businessman Sabby Mionis.

Authorities in the Virgin Islands have now sent judicial officials in Greece some 450 pages of information relating to the company, which should clear up the firm’s ownership status.

Mionis has also been called in for questioning, which is expected to take place next week.