Arms dealer Dafermos to testify on Friday on bribery charges

On Tuesday, police announced the arrest of arms dealer Kostantinos Dafermos for illegal payments relating to an armaments programme, on the basis of a warrant issued by a corruption magistrate.
The warrant against Dafermos relates to illegal payments allegedly given as bribes to secure a contract to supply 98 'Kornet' long-range anti-tank missile launchers to the Greek armed forces.
Based on evidence collected by Greek authorities, including the testimony of former deputy director for arms procurements at the defence ministry Antonis Kantas, a total of three million dollars was paid in kickbacks for the deal.
The charges against Dafermos and the two other suspects are for active and passive bribery, aggravated by the provisions of laws on embezzlement from the public sector and money laundering. All three will be led before the examining magistrate.

Dafermos and the other two suspects will be briefed on the lawsuit and will testify on Friday.

According to information, Dafermos dissmisses the charges claiming that the state was not harmed by the contract. He also called the agreement beneficial in many ways for the Greek state.