Georgios Voulgarakis

Giorgos Voulgarakis (Greek Γιώργος Βουλγαράκης, born June 4, 1959 in Heraklion / Crete ) is a Greek politician. He was involved as a minister in several departments in a number of political scandals.

Career

Voulgarakis studied economics at the University of Piraeus and Athens. As a student, he joined the party New Democracy ( ND ) and was active in the Student Union.

He was first elected to the Greek Parliament in 1989 and was from December 1992 to October 1993 under Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis Secretary of State for the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works.

From March 2004 to February 2006, he belonged to the cabinet of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis as Minister of Public Order, and after a cabinet reshuffle February 2006 to September 2007 as Minister of Culture.

On 30 May 2006, at the house of Voulgarakis by the extreme left-wing group Epanastatikos Agonas ( " Revolutionary Struggle " ), a bomb attack perpetrated, but the only damage wreaked.

After the electoral success of the New Democracy party in the parliamentary elections in September 2007 Voulgarakis was appointed as Minister of Merchant Marine.

On 12 September 2008 Voulgarakis resigned from this government office after the media had taken up his involvement in several political scandals.

Affairs and scandals

As in the Olympic year 2004, the telephones of many politicians - including the Prime Minister - were tapped, Voulgarakis was as interior minister senior employer of the police and the secret service. After the evidence accumulated that behind the action were services from the U.S., the case was placed under its responsibility to the files. Against his better judgment denied any involvement Greek Voulgarakis 2005 points in the abduction of Pakistani immigrants in Athens and their interrogation by the British foreign intelligence service. Both scandals meant that he was transferred from the position of Minister of the Interior on the quieter post of minister of culture and after the elections in September 2007, the Office of Merchant Marine Minister.

As a merchant marine minister drove Voulgarakis against an operating ban on parliamentarians a roaring trade in real estate for several in conjunction with the wife held off-shore companies.

The main reason for the resignation of the Minister on 12 September 2008 was the involvement of Voulgarakis family in the sale of a wide range of land of the public sector to the location on the "holy mountain " Athos monastery of Vatopedi. These real estate transactions, the Greek state to have been damaged by an estimated 100 million euros. As an advocate of the monks here acted the father of Voulgarakis, while his daughter, the wife of the minister, at the same time acted as a notary at least the sale of land. Opposition and the media collected after the announcement of these processes corruption allegations.

Voulgarakis has to answer in a criminal trial for alleged tax evasion. He allegedly concealed in his assets declaration that his wife is co-owner of an offshore company with a balance of 117,000 euro account.

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