Sometimes dubbed “the Greek Khodorkovsky” because of his unusual imprisonment by the Greek Justice, Greek shipowner Vicotor Restis was released a few hours ago from custody after 4 months in prison, pending his trial in the notoriously slow Greek judicial system.
Restis, one of the top shipowners internationally, was arrested last July when dozens of armed police stormed his house in an Athens suburb. He was accused of signing an improperly secured loan to a former business associate in his capacity as president of the FBB Bank. Even though the loan was serviced, Restis was remanded into custody for “money laundering”.
The excessive force used during his arrest and his subsequent unusually harsh treatment by the Greek authorities led to speculation about the real motivation behind his persecution, with political motives or business interests having been mentioned. Right from the start it became obvious that evidence against Restis was very slim. Sources in Athens express confidence that all preventive measures placed against Restis will soon be dropped.
Sources in Athens have repeatedly expressed surprise that his arrest came at a time when Greece is struggling to prevent economic collapse, to safeguard jobs and to lure investment by Greek shipowners.
Restis is one of the few major Greek shipowners that remains based in Greece, while his companies provide jobs for thousands of Greeks, in a country where unemployment runs at almost 28%.
According to his lawyers, after his release from prison, the shipowner will “fight to the end to prove his innocence and, at the same time, he will continue his business activities in Greece and abroad”, obviously signaling that he does not intend to remove his base from Greece.
New Europe, which has been following the Restis case since the initial stages will follow the issue closely in an attempt to provide an explanation how a “Khodorkovsky” situation can be created in a EU member state that is not Russia.
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