Griveas couple extradited to Greece

A London court ruled yesterday that businessman Kyriakos Griveas and his wife Anastasia Vatsika must be extradited to Greece to stand trial in relation to an unsecured loan issued by Hellenic Postbank as based on a European arrest warrant issued by Greek authorities, it was revealed Thursday.

Defense has seven days to file for an appeal before extradition proceedings begin.

Shortly before the verdict was announced, Griveas told Greek journalists in London that he intended to return to Greece by September. "Even if the case goes to appeal, I want to return to testify before Greek authorities, before the investigation over Hellenic Postbank concludes," he said.

According to a prosecutor's report, the couple allegedly received an unsecured loan of 27 million euros, among several issued by Hellenic Postbank, in 2009. Their defence has argued they had provided all necessary backup documentation for the loan, while the responsibility of its issuance rested with the bank itself.