Judicial probe launched into reports on gov't aide

An Athens prosecutor on Friday ordered a preliminary investigation into reports that a close associate of a government minister had tried to intervene so that a company owned by disgraced businessman Lavrentis Lavrentiadis could get out of paying more than 120 million euros in debts to the Public Gas Corporation (DEPA).

The allegations pertain to debts to the state-owned company run up by Hellenic Fertilizers (ELFE), in which Lavrentiadis - currently on trial for embezzlement over the failed Proton Bank - had an interest and now stands accused of complicity in bank fraud over the company's unpaid debts to Alpha Bank.

They are based on recent media reports regarding Manolis Petsitis, a close associate of Digital Policy Minister Nikos Pappas with alleged links to the prime minister's office. According to some of these, a former DEPA CEO who faces charges over the ELFE...