Minister’s daughter released from prison

The daughter of former Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos was released from prison on Friday after serving 2.5 years in custody. “I want to return to my children,” said Areti Tsochatzopoulou upon her release. “I still cannot believe it.”

Tsochatzopoulou was taken into custody in 2012 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison last October for her role in laundering millions of euros in kickbacks received by her father during his tenure as defense minister. Tsochatzopoulou has been banned from leaving the country and must appear at her local police precinct twice a month.

Judges recently rejected a fourth appeal for early release by Vicky Stamati, Tsochatzopoulos’s wife, who is also serving a 12-year prison sentence in the same case. Tsochatzopoulou refused to comment on this issue as she left prison.