George Papandreou's mother 'linked to €550 million Swiss bank account'

10:51PM GMT 02 Dec 2012

The 89-year-old mother of a former Greek prime minister has been reportedly linked to a Swiss bank account containing more €550 million (£446 million).

George Papandreou's mother is allegedly on the "Lagarde list" of Greeks with Swiss bank accounts. Photo: EPA

Margaret Papandreou, whose son George served as the country's prime minister during the height of the Euro zone crisis, is said to be on the "Lagarde list" of Greek citizens with fortunes hidden in Switzerland.

The list of alleged tax evaders, named after Christine Lagarde, the head International Monetary Fund (IMF), has caused deep resentment as Greece struggles with austerity.

Mrs Papandreou, whose late husband was also a prime minister, denied the allegations reported in two Greek newspapers yesterday.

"Why such lies? Why such attacks? Perhaps because my family never served this country’s interest groups," she said in a statement.

Mr Papandreou, who stood down as prime minister in 2011 but remains a member of parliament, said the stories were "rumours without facts" and were part of a backlash against his anti-corruption battles while in office.

After taking power in 2009, his government announced that the country's financial situation was far more dire than originally thought, largely due to tax evasion by Greek citizens.

Mrs Papandreou's name reportedly surfaced in a report made by police to members of parliament last month.

The "Lagarde list" was provided to Greece by the French government while Mrs Lagarde was still finance minister in Nicolas Sarkozy's government.

George Papandreou's mother 'linked to €550 million Swiss bank account' - Telegraph