Departing Greek Dep Min Admits Owning Undeclared Offshore Company

Departing deputy social security minister Pavlos Chaikalis leaves his seat while admitting that he owned a company in Cyprus that he has failed to declare to tax authorities.

Chaikalis, MP of junior coalition partner ANEL, was forced to answer questions under parliamentary scrutiny after the insistence of New Democracy lawmaker Lefteris Avgenakis.

The former deputy minister, who is also an actor, admitted that since 2008 he owns a company in Cyprus which he failed to declare to tax authorities or the parliamentary committee auditing lawmakers’ assets.

“It is not an offshore company but a company that ensures my copyright for films and plays that are broadcasted in Cyprus, for when I was working as an actor. There is no declared income from the company as it has been inactive since 2011,” he said on Mega television.

Chaikalis did not answer how he was receiving copyright funds from his works broadcasted in Cyprus.

Greek law says that a parliament member is not allowed to own a private company and at the same time Chaikalis failed to declare its existence to the parliamentary assets auditing committee. Also, Chaikalis has to answer to tax authorities for undeclared income from his company.

ANEL leader Panos Kammenos said he wants transparency for all party MPs and gave Chaikalis 24 hours to defend his case by presenting documents to the parliamentary committee and State Minister in charge of fighting corruption, Panagiotis Nikoloudis.