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Retired officer released on bail for helicopter scandal

Retired Air Force officer  Panagiotis Strantzalis was set free after posting bail of 15,000 euros, after his deposition to the investigator against corruption. He is accused of money laundering in the case of a purchase by the defense ministry of Super Puma helicopters.

The retired officer is being charged together with his co-defendants, also retired officers  Theodoros Moschos and Ioannis Rammos with receiving illegal remuneration to the total of 523,773 euros to promote the selection of the helicopters from manufacturer Eurocopter.

In the indictment Mr. Strantzalis, who denies the charges, is shown receiving the amount of 185,000 euros, in 2008, from the account of Moschos, money that seems to have been remitted by the company Malwern, property of Al. Tsatsos and S. Komnopoulos, defendants in the case of the helicopters in question as intermediaries in the commission.

For the same case, the president of LAOS party, Giorgos Karatzaferis is expected in the coming days to be called by the appellate special investigator over the disputed commission accused of an inaccurate ways and means statement charged with a felony and a misdemeanor for participation in an offshore company. The charges relate to an amount of 1.65 million euros allegedly received by the president of LAOS through the  Malwern off shore company, property of Tsatsos and Komnopoulos, in 2007-2008.