Shipowner Marinakis to face Noor 1 charges

A Piraeus prosecutor has brought charges of drug trafficking and financing an illegal enterprise against the shipowner and businessman Vangelis Marinakis in connection with the Noor 1 heroin smuggling case.

The prosecutor, Eirini Tziva, brought the charges against Marinakis on Friday following an investigation that examined bank transfers of sums believed to have been used to fund the Noor 1 cargo ship which was used to smuggle some 2 tons of heroin into Greece in 2014.

Tziva also brought charges against three alleged associates of Marinakis: Nikos Syntihakis, the former managing director of shipping firm Capital, Piraeus-based lawyer Vangelis Bairaktaris and marine insurance broker Ilias Tsakiris.

In view of the seriousness of the charges, Tziva asked the case to be assigned to an investigating magistrate specializing in corruption cases.