Legal woes for two one-time “protected witnesses” in the divisive Novartis kickbacks case are reportedly unending, as after the pair’s recent misdemeanor convictions for providing false testimony it now appears that the independent authority against money laundering will freeze their assets in Greece and Switzerland.
Meanwhile, both individuals, Filistoras Destebasidis, known as the protected witness “Maximos Sarafis”, as well as Maria Maraggeli, known as “Ekaterini Kelesi”, are currently appealing their first instance convictions. They were handed down 25 to 33 months of jail time, although the sentences were suspended with parole.
According to reports, the independent authority has reportedly frozen all assets owned by the pair in Greece, while conveying to Swiss authorities a request that banks accounts they maintain in that country also be frozen.
According to press reports in Athens this week, the anti-money laundering authority considers that the millions of dollars in “whistle-blower” rewards they received from US federal authorities for the Novartis case is related to the statements they gave to the Greek justice system. When they were granted the status of witnesses of public interest they did not meet the requirements, as they had a financial motive, is the reasoning being cited in the reports, which quotes sources from the independent authority.
The relevant order has already been sent to banks in Greece and the corresponding Swiss banks, and on this basis, the assets of the two individuals remain temporarily “frozen.” However, the move also signals a new criminal investigation into the two defendants, as the head of the authority has drafted, as required by law, a report which was forwarded to the Athens Public Prosecutor’s Office for an investigation into the felony of laundering proceeds from criminal activity (money laundering) against the two former protected witnesses, based on whose testimony 10 politicians had been implicated in the Novartis case.
At the same time, the same authority has reportedly frozen the assets of 12 other individuals whose accounts allegedly received money from the two defendants without any justification. The money laundering charges faced by the pair and the alleged accomplices are felonies.
