Greek privatisation chief dismissed for 'ethical reasons'
Stelios Stavridis pictured on private jet belonging to buyer of government stake in gambling monopoly OPAP
The chairman of the Greek privatisation agency responsible for selling the government’s 33% stake in OPAP has been dismissed after being pictured on a private jet belonging to Emma Delta investor Dimitris Melissanidis.
The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) completed a 650m deal to sell the stake in the gambling monopoly last week to equity fund Emma Delta, led by oil tycoon Melissanidis and Czech billionaire Jiri Smejc.
Pictures of Stelios Stavridis on board the jet were published in Greek newspaper Proto Thema on Sunday, prompting the country’s finance minister Yannis Stournaras to call for his resignation.
Stavridis told the newspaper that after returning to Athens from holiday to sign the deal last week, Melissanidis had offered him a lift back to Kefalonia on his way to France.
Stavridis added that he and Melissanidis discussed the sale of OPAP and the privatisation of its state lottery during the flight, an issue which is thought to have complicated HRADF’s agreement with Emma Delta.
The 650m sale was initially agreed in May, with Greece ordered to raise almost 10bn from asset sales by 2016 as part of an international bailout plan designed to ease its economic issues.
OPAP investor relations officer Nikos Polymenakos said the resignation will have little impact on the sale of the government’s stake, which remains subject to clearance and ratification.
The HRADF was unavailable for comment at the time of writing.