More Than 60 Charged In Greek Bond Affair

More than 60 people face criminal charges for their involvement in a Greek bond scandal.

More than 60 people face criminal charges for their involvement in a Greek bond scandal that has rocked the government and made headlines for months, a court official told Reuters on Tuesday. At the heart of the scandal that has already led to the sacking of a labour minister and other officials is the sale of structured government paper to pension funds at inflated prices.

"Those charged are more than 60," said the court official, who did not want to be named.

On Monday, a Greek prosecutor filed criminal charges against unnamed individuals involved in the bond affair. Chief appellate court prosecutor George Koliokostas laid nine types of felony charges, including fraud, breach of trust, money laundering, tax evasion, aiding and abetting and embezzlement.

He also filed one misdemeanour charge. The charges, against specific individuals, refer to the 1999-2007 period.

Prosecutors have probed the role of financial intermediaries and pension fund officials in the sale of 280 million euros worth of bonds, an affair hurting the government's popularity ahead of snap elections, possibly as early as this autumn.