BoG chief says prosecutors’ claims against him ‘laughable’

Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras on Thursday dismissed as “laughable” allegations by three prosecutors who are under investigation for their handling of the Novartis investigation that he threatened a former protected witness in the probe.

Nikos Maniadakis, a former Health Ministry adviser, has claimed that he had been pressured by Greek prosecutors to accuse politicians of accepting bribes from the Swiss pharmaceutical firm.

However, in their joint statement, the three prosecutors now claim that Stournaras had warned Maniadakis that the leftist government would eventually be ousted and that both prosecutors and witnesses would find themselves in trouble.

In his statement, Stournaras questioned why the prosecutors did not come forward earlier if the witness had indeed said he was threatened.