"cabinet man" - true meaning involved in corruption scandal

[Catherine]

Athens, June 2, 2010

"Cabinet man" was officially translated into Greek as "member of the
Cabinet" by the Translation Service of the Greek Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.
Opposition party claims that the correct translation should be "cabinet
maker" and that the translation of the Ministry was a "cheap trick".

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100006_02/06/2010_117433

Head of Siemens inquiry slips up

The future of PASOK MP Sifis Valyrakis, who is chairing the parliamentary
committee investigating the Siemens scandal, is in doubt after it emerged
that a leak about a note written by ex-Siemens Hellas CEO Michalis
Christoforakos, which suggested a bribe was paid to a former New Democracy
minister, appears to have been the result of a gross misunderstanding.

Valyrakis is thought to have been behind the leak, which appeared in the
press over the weekend and suggested that there was written confirmation of
Christoforakos paying money to a member of the Cabinet in the previous
conservative government.

However, the ND deputies on the committee said yesterday that Valyrakis had
made a huge mistake. They said that the handwritten note was in fact an
e-mail and that instead of relating to a member of the Cabinet, it actually
referred to a cabinetmaker. It appears that the message, which contained the
line "give the balance of the 50 percent deposit for the cabinet man" was
referring to a payment that Siemens made for some units that were being made
for the New York home of the managing director of Faran Laboratories
pharmaceutical group Marios Katsikas.

The businessman is due to face the parliamentary committee today in a bid to
clear up the situation but Valyrakis's role as head of the panel is already
being questioned.

"I have experienced these types of cheap tricks before and I know how to
spot them," said the head of the New Democracy MPs on the committee, Costas
Tzavaras. "We are dealing with a concerted effort to misinform people which
had the aim of harming the reputation of former ministers."

Valyrakis did not comment yesterday but sources said that some PASOK
deputies are unhappy with his handling of the situation.

[Catherine]

How to translate "arrange payment to the cabinet man" into Greek if the
document is an e-mail and part of a file concerning illegal payments and
bribes, sent by the Public Prosecutor to the Investigating Commitee of the
Parliament?

Translator's version: arrange payment for a member of the
Cabinet

Ruling party's version: arrange payment for a member of the
Cabinet

Opposition party's version: arrange payment for the cabinet maker

"Cabinet" or "cabinet" it seems that the recipent of the document in
question handled cash-for-contracts money after all:

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_1_03/06/2010_117460

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Siemens spotlight on Samaras
PASOK calls for ND leader to explain e-mail from relative at firm
suggesting link with Christoforakos

An e-mail exchange between New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras and a
relative who worked at Siemens Hellas came to light yesterday as part of
Parliament's investigation into the cash-for-contracts scandal, prompting
PASOK to suggest that the conservative politician should appear at the
inquiry and the opposition party to accuse the Socialists of playing
political games.

It emerged that in 2006, Evangelos Sekeris, an executive at the Greek branch
of Siemens and Samaras's brother-in-law, sent the ND politician, then a
member of the European Parliament, an e-mail concerning his role at the
company. It appears that Sekeris, who had been with Siemens Hellas since
1985, had become frustrated at not climbing the ranks within the company.

In his e-mail on July 31, 2006, Sekeris asked Samaras to speak to then
Siemens Hellas CEO Michalis Christoforakos and argue his case for promotion.
"Christoforakos knows that I know a lot about his dirty tricks but that I
have kept my mouth shut so far," added Sekeris in the message, which also
claimed that Samaras had "opened doors" for Siemens in the past.

PASOK MPs on the investigative committee suggested that Samaras should be
called to answer questions about what links he may have had with Siemens but
ND responded by accusing the Socialists of dragging the inquiry "into the
mire." They said that Samaras did not know Christoforakos but that he did
call the CEO on his brother-in-law's behalf.

Meanwhile, businessman Marios Katsikas appeared before the panel of MPs
yesterday to explain how an e-mail thought to have indicated illicit
payments from Siemens to a member of the previous conservative Cabinet was
actually referring to money that was due to a company making cabinets for
his New York home.

Katsikas, who owns 20 companies, said that in 2003 he had paid a
200,000-euro deposit to a businessman friend for the purchase of a property
near Athens. However, Katsikas pulled out of the deal and his friend asked
another acquaintance, financier Giorgos Kaldis, to transfer the money to
Katsikas's Swiss bank account so he could pay various bills, including for
his cabinets. Kaldis wired the money from an account belonging to the Placid
Blue Corporation, an offshore company used for Christoforakos's slush fund.
Katsikas said he had no contact with Christoforakos.

[Catherine]

What is the meaning "arrange payment to the cabinet man" if the document is
an e-mail and part of a file concerning illegal payments and bribes, sent by
the Public Prosecutor to the Investigating Commitee of the Parliament?

Translator's version: arrange payment for a member of the
Cabinet

Ruling party's version: arrange payment for a member of the
Cabinet

Opposition party's version: arrange payment for the cabinet maker

"Cabinet" or "cabinet" it seems that the recipent of the document in
question handled cash-for-contracts money after all:

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_1_03/06/2010_117460

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Siemens spotlight on Samaras
PASOK calls for ND leader to explain e-mail from relative at firm
suggesting link with Christoforakos

An e-mail exchange between New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras and a
relative who worked at Siemens Hellas came to light yesterday as part of
Parliament's investigation into the cash-for-contracts scandal, prompting
PASOK to suggest that the conservative politician should appear at the
inquiry and the opposition party to accuse the Socialists of playing
political games.

It emerged that in 2006, Evangelos Sekeris, an executive at the Greek branch
of Siemens and Samaras's brother-in-law, sent the ND politician, then a
member of the European Parliament, an e-mail concerning his role at the
company. It appears that Sekeris, who had been with Siemens Hellas since
1985, had become frustrated at not climbing the ranks within the company.

In his e-mail on July 31, 2006, Sekeris asked Samaras to speak to then
Siemens Hellas CEO Michalis Christoforakos and argue his case for promotion.
"Christoforakos knows that I know a lot about his dirty tricks but that I
have kept my mouth shut so far," added Sekeris in the message, which also
claimed that Samaras had "opened doors" for Siemens in the past.

PASOK MPs on the investigative committee suggested that Samaras should be
called to answer questions about what links he may have had with Siemens but
ND responded by accusing the Socialists of dragging the inquiry "into the
mire." They said that Samaras did not know Christoforakos but that he did
call the CEO on his brother-in-law's behalf.

Meanwhile, businessman Marios Katsikas appeared before the panel of MPs
yesterday to explain how an e-mail thought to have indicated illicit
payments from Siemens to a member of the previous conservative Cabinet was
actually referring to money that was due to a company making cabinets for
his New York home.

Katsikas, who owns 20 companies, said that in 2003 he had paid a
200,000-euro deposit to a businessman friend for the purchase of a property
near Athens. However, Katsikas pulled out of the deal and his friend asked
another acquaintance, financier Giorgos Kaldis, to transfer the money to
Katsikas's Swiss bank account so he could pay various bills, including for
his cabinets. Kaldis wired the money from an account belonging to the Placid
Blue Corporation, an offshore company used for Christoforakos's slush fund.
Katsikas said he had no contact with Christoforakos.