Cyprus’ Supreme Court has ruled that forjmer Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides can be extradited to Greece to be tried in connection with a huge money laundering racket centered around former Greek Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos and a group of others that runs into the hundreds of millions of euros.
Michaelides should be extradited to Greece within 10 days at the latest, the court said, rejecting an appeal lodged by his lawyers in a Limassol court.
Michaelides, whose son Michalis has also been implicated in the case, is to remain in custody until his extradition, sources said.
Nikos Zigras, Tsochatzopoulos’ first cousin and former close confidant, has claimed to have been given a briefcase containing 80 million drachmas (approximately 230,000 euros) by Michaelides to pass on to Tsochatzopoulos in 1998. Michaelides has denied any wrongdoing. In recent years he has been practicing law.
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