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If Varoufakis Is Charged With Treason, Then Dijsselbloem Should Be As Well

Tyler Durden's picture




 

In the aftermath of this weekend's infamous leak of Yanis Varoufakis audio recording with members of OMFIF in which the former finmin admitted to asset managers that in his tenure as a finmin he had engaged in preparations for a return to the Drachma, Greece has been gripped by a media frenzy debating whether Varoufakis will be charged with treason for daring to even contemplate how an exit from the EMU would take place.

To be sure, Varoufakis may have poured the initial gasoline on the fire when he admitted to Ambrose Evans-Pritchard shortly after the recording surfaced that "the context of all this is that they want to present me as a rogue finance minister, and have me indicted for treason. It is all part of an attempt to annul the first five months of this government and put it in the dustbin of history."

His concerns were certainly justified: yesterday Kathimerini reported that Greek Supreme Court prosecutor Efterpi Koutzamani on Tuesday took two initiatives in the wake of revelations by former Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis that he had planned a parallel banking system: she forwarded to Parliament two suits filed against the former minister last week by private citizens and she appointed a colleague to determine whether any non-political figures should face criminal charges in connection with the affair.

The legal suits were filed last week by Apostolos Gletsos, the mayor of Stylida in central Greece and head of the Teleia party, and Panayiotis Giannopoulos, a lawyer. Giannopoulos is suing Varoufakis for treason over his handling of talks with Greece’s creditors. Gletsos, for his part, accuses Varoufakis of exposing the Greek state to the risk of reprisals.

 

As there is a law protecting ministers, the judiciary cannot move directly against Varoufakis. It is up to Parliament to decide whether his immunity should be lifted so he can stand trial. The first step would be to set up an investigative committee.

 

A third suit was expected to go to Parliament after a group of five lawyers said they were seeking an investigation into whether any non-political figures should face criminal charges in connection with the Varoufakis affair. The charges would involve violation of privacy data, breach of duty, violation of currency laws and belonging to a criminal organization. It was the lawyers’ move that prompted Koutzamani to order an investigation.

As a further reminder, during the telephone call Varoufakis detailed his plan for a parallel banking system, which would involve a childhood friend, a professor at Columbia University, to hack into the ministry’s online tax system.

Varoufakis did not name the head of the General Secretariat for Information Systems, Michalis Hatzitheodorou, but the description of his role at the ministry and his background suggested he was referring to him.

 

In a statement on Tuesday, Hatzitheodorou rebuffed as “absolutely false” reports regarding any type of intervention in the ministry’s information systems. The GSIS, and the current general secratary, have not planned much less attempted any type of intervention in its systems, the statement said. It added that the GSIS has enacted procedures with strict specifications which guarantee the security of personal data and make such interventions by anyone impossible.

What makes matters confusing, is that the core allegation made by Varoufakis, namely that the Troika controls Greece tax revenues and had to be sabotaged, was strictly denied: European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva on Tuesday described as “false and unfounded” Varoufakis’s claims that Greece’s General Secretariat for Public Revenues is controlled by the country’s creditors.

In other words, if Andreeva is right, then Varoufakis' transgression of threatening to hijack the Greek tax system was merely hot air, and the former finmin is guilty of nothing more than self-aggrandizement.

On the other hand, if Greece does find it has a legal basis to criminally charge Varoufakis with treason merely for preparing for a Plan B, then it brings up an interesting question: if Varoufakis was a criminal merely for preparing for existing the Euro, then comparable treason charges should also be lobbed against none other than Varoufakis' nemesis - Eurogroup president and Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem.

Recall from the November 28 post that "Netherlands, Germany Have Euro Disaster Plan - Possible Return to Guilder and Mark", to wit:

The Dutch finance ministry prepared for a scenario in which the Netherlands could return to its former currency - the guilder. They hosted meetings with a team of legal, economic and foreign affairs experts to discuss the possibility of returning to the Dutch guilder in early 2012.

 

At the time the Euro was in crisis, Greece was on the verge of leaving or being pushed out of the Euro and the debt crisis was hitting Spain and Italy hard. The Greek prime minister Georgios Papandreou and his Italian counterpart Silvio Berlusconi had resigned and there were concerns that the eurozone debt crisis was spinning out of control - leading to contagion and the risk of a systemic collapse.

 

A TV documentary broke the story last Tuesday. The rumours were confirmed on Thursday by the current Dutch minister of finance, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, and the current President of the Eurogroup of finance ministers in a television interview which was covered by EU Observer and Bloomberg.

 

“It is true that [the ministry of] finance and the then government had also prepared themselves for the worst scenario”, said Dijsselbloem.

This is precisely what Varoufakis was doing too.

“Government leaders, including the Dutch government, have always said: we want to keep that eurozone together. But [the Dutch government] also looked at: what if that fails. And it prepared for that.”

 

While Dijsselbloem said there was no need to be “secretive” about the plans now, such discussions were shrouded in secrecy at the time to avoid spreading panic on the financial markets.

Again, precisely like in the Greek scenario.

In fact, if throwing people in jail, may round up Wolfi Schauble as well:

Jan Kees de Jager, finance minister from February 2010 to November 2012, acknowledged that a team of legal experts, economists and foreign affairs specialists often met at his ministry on Fridays to discuss possible scenarios.

 

“The fact that in Europe multiple scenarios were discussed was something some countries found rather scary. They did not do that at all, strikingly enough”, said De Jager in the TV documentary. “We were one of the few countries, together with Germany. We even had a team together that discussed scenarios, Germany-Netherlands.”

 

When the EU Observer requested confirmation from Germany, the German ministry of finance did not officially deny that it had drawn up similar plans, stating simply: “We and our partners in the euro zone, including the Netherlands, were and still are determined to do everything possible to prevent a breakup of the eurozone.”

 

* * *

 

This is quite a revelation. At that time the German finance minister Wolfgang Schauble had said that the Euro could survive without Greece. Whether it could survive without the Dutch is another matter entirely.

Fast forward 3 years when Greece, too, was making preparations for "preventing the breakup of the eurozone" in doing precisely what Schauble wanted as recently as three weeks ago: implementing a parallel currency which would enable Greece to take its "temporary" sabbatical from the Eurozone.

So one wonders: where are the legal suits accusing Dijsselbloem and Schauble of the same "treason" that Varoufakis may have to vigorously defend himself in a kangaroo court designed to be nothing but a spectacle showing what happens to anyone in Europe who dares to give Germany the finger, either literally or metaphorically.

The answer: nowhere, and they will never appear, because if Varoufakis is indeed sued it will not be because he did something that other much more "serious" Eurocrats haven't considered or done before, but simply to crucify the Greek and make him into a dramatic example for any other "peripheral" (or even core, ahem "Madame Frexit") European who would even consider taking a comparable action on their own and pushing Europe's artificial, and now expiring, monetary union to the edge of collapse.

Then again, considering just how badly Europe misjudged the third season of the Greek bailout tragicomedy, it may want to be careful: the last thing it wants is to create a martyr against what increasingly more are calling a fascist oligarchy operating, conveniently enough, out of Belgium, Frankfurt and Berlin, one whose next item on the agenda is taking advantage of the Greek crisis and finally doing away with European state sovereignty altogether handing over control of Europe to a "parliament", one which if the ECB is any indication, will also be run by a few Goldman bankers.

 

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Wed, 07/29/2015 - 16:54 | 6368659 Tom Servo
Tom Servo's picture

Dijsselbloem is in "the club" so, no.  Kthxbye.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 16:57 | 6368665 CrazyCooter
CrazyCooter's picture

I seem to recall something from Finance 101 ... some are more equal than others ... something maffy like that ...

Regards,

Cooter

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:12 | 6368724 Supernova Born
Supernova Born's picture

Having heard Yanis Varoufakis on Bloomberg, I  think putting him on trial would be about as effective as King George and the Redcoats putting Patrick Henry on public trial.

Orate this, bitchez.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:19 | 6368754 AlaricBalth
AlaricBalth's picture

The following should be charged with high crimes against humanity.

Crimes against humanity” include any of the following acts committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack: murder; extermination; enslavement; deportation or forcible transfer of population; imprisonment; torture; rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity; persecution against an identifiable group on political, racial, national, ethnic, cultural, religious or gender grounds; enforced disappearance of persons; the crime of apartheid; other inhumane acts of a similar character intentionally causing great suffering or serious bodily or mental injury.

Jon Corzine

Lloyd Blankfein

Jamie Dimon

Janet Yellen

Ben Bernanke

John Boehner

Nancy Pelosi

Barack Obama

George Bush

John McCain

George Soros

Mario Monte

Mario Draghi

Joroen Dijsselbloem

David Petraeus

Robert Rubin

 

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:25 | 6368787 38BWD22
38BWD22's picture

Greece misplayed its hand.  Varoufakis flubbed his role as well.  As a Game Theorist, he failed...

But treason?  No, that is just complete & stupid political posturing.

There is so much blame to go around re Greece............

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:38 | 6368865 TeethVillage88s
TeethVillage88s's picture

I ran out of Votes.

But Suggest People vote for Watchdogs, and Data-savers, those that back up data for history.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:02 | 6368669 knuppel
knuppel's picture

It depends on the exact laws. The dutch ministry of finance did it for their own liquid country that wasn't under control of a troika after decades of leeching money from their neighbours. The problem isn't varoufuckus planned for an exit, it's that he breached a machine he wasn't entitled to according to greek law. (in the supposed treason scenario)

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 16:58 | 6368670 Chuck Knoblauch
Chuck Knoblauch's picture

If the US had the Referendum, Obozo would have been lynched already.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:11 | 6368722 zvzzt
zvzzt's picture

point of lynching is that you don;t need (nor wait) for a referendum, right?

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:17 | 6368745 Chuck Knoblauch
Chuck Knoblauch's picture

I'll settle for a second hand electric chair.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:02 | 6368688 Fahque Imuhnutjahb
Fahque Imuhnutjahb's picture

Soooo, contingency planning is possibly treasonous.  Ok, good to know.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:02 | 6368690 Supernova Born
Supernova Born's picture

Timothy Hutton is praying Jizzlebloom does something which warrants a TV movie.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:14 | 6368730 zvzzt
zvzzt's picture

if you mean, wasting peoples money and doing fuck all while looking seriously, there are loads of tv moveis out there already :)

 

and thanks for the new name Jizzlebloom, havent heard it before. one problem: if I now look at porn, I see his face before me dripping with Merkels cunt juices - not a pretty sight

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:05 | 6368700 Tradinglikecrazy
Tradinglikecrazy's picture

It's a Greek suing another Greek, it shows how politically divided their own people are on these issues. The fact that this suit is even being considered at the highest levels is alarming however. What a mess.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:10 | 6368716 world_debt_slave
world_debt_slave's picture

to exist or not exist, that is the question to be

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:10 | 6368717 StrikerMax
StrikerMax's picture

I think this is amazing !

 

Please lets stop this non-sense of "Treason" about Varoufakis.

There is No Treason if The Greek Elected Government Talked and had a Plan to exit the Euro!

It is Actually Their LEGAL Obligation to consider ALL sorts of scenarios and to Prepare the Country for such an eventuality.

The Referendum Reinforced that same Position.

The Greek Government MUST Have PLans to Exit the Euro ready Today .

It is Actually Patriotic of Any Greek Government Member to PLan the GRexit ..that BTW it's inevitable ... it's just a matter of time and not much time at that ...

So this talk of so called "Treason" when in fact he was doing a Patriotic Act is utter non-sense!

The only Treason is NOT to have such a Plan, the Grexit, prepared!

Lets stop it.

 

Thu, 07/30/2015 - 03:38 | 6370141 Ghordius
Ghordius's picture

the really amazing thing is how the whole thing is being misdirected. Planning for an alternative currency as such is neither treason nor criminal

as various part of the article suggest, all eurozone finmins do have such plans, and in fact should always have such plans, just in case

the charges brought forward against Varoufakis are not about such plans, they are about how he was going after them, including a grandiose plan for data theft

data that is confidential, and private. data protected by tax secrecy laws. data that should not be in the hands of anybody, including a minister

"The charges would involve violation of privacy data, breach of duty, violation of currency laws and belonging to a criminal organization"

as the article suggests, Varoufakis is covered by parliamentary immunity and ministerial immunity, so it's up to the Hellenic Parliament to decide if those charges can be brought forward

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:15 | 6368742 Spungo
Spungo's picture

I hope they charge him with treason. Have fun with anarchy when a court case sets the precedent that planning of any kind is illegal.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:16 | 6368744 Peter Pan
Peter Pan's picture

This all reminds me of the ancient Greek statesman Themistocles who convinced the Athenians to spend the new found silver discovery on building a fleet which was subsequently instrumental in destroying the Persian invaders instead of distributing it to the citizenry.

The Athenians after all this decided to ostracize Themistocles and he was booted out of the country supposedly for becoming too much of a tall poppy.

Vaoufakis may or may not resurface as a politician but a number of his propositions about Greek debt being unsustainable etc will ring true until the whole stinking mess collapses.

By the way Themistocles was welcomed to the Persian court because his talents were recognized.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:21 | 6368763 Panic Mode
Panic Mode's picture

99% of politicians & bankers are. 

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:33 | 6368839 TeethVillage88s
TeethVillage88s's picture

99% of the EU ministers are unknown to the people of the EU.

Well... Greeks may not even recognize the photos of ministers (vice Presidents).

What shame to be Raped in public by tax collectors or bureaucrats...

And to be the Seat of Democracy... to be infiltrated by neonazis... have little gun rights... have little power to displace University professors and government people... shit sounds like America.

But wow... to have useless professors who act like crony government wow... Get rid of government shit heads!

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:22 | 6368770 Peter Pan
Peter Pan's picture

At the pace at which Greek cases are heard and resolved by Greeks, it will be some time around May 2045 that the case is resolved.

Vexatious litigation is alive and well and those that initiate it are simply attention seekers or stooges of some other puppeteer.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:24 | 6368782 TeethVillage88s
TeethVillage88s's picture

Vier habben Ein Troika.

Alles Sind "Guilty".

Look at the list of the EC Members, no one actually knows these people... what a joke.

European Commission:

President: Jean-Claude Juncker, from a town in the commune of Sanem, in south-western Luxembourg.
First Vice President: Frans Timmermans, Dutch
Vice Presidents:

Federica Mogherini, Italian, 41 years old...
Kristalina Georgieva, Bulgarian
Jyrki Katainen, Finnish
Valdis Dombrovskis, Latvian
Andrus Ansip, Estonian
Maroš Šefcovic, Slovak,

Who are these Guys???!!!

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:33 | 6368838 The Delicate Genius
The Delicate Genius's picture

they're errand boys, sent by a grocery clerk...

Thu, 07/30/2015 - 03:52 | 6370154 doctorZH
doctorZH's picture

I love that quote. And it is SO applicable to this situation.  Western governments are filled with errand boys and bag men, sent by grocery clerks.  Whan will this nightmare end?

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:52 | 6368936 mog
mog's picture

Who elected them is a better question.

NO ONE

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:27 | 6368804 llessur_one
llessur_one's picture

Who is this Dissembowel and why is he being charged with treason?

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:30 | 6368819 knuppel
knuppel's picture

He isn't, nor is varoufuckus as far as I know.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:32 | 6368828 llessur_one
llessur_one's picture

Apoligies to Rosan Rosanna Danna

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:31 | 6368822 random999
random999's picture

Hahahah treason just as snowden, manning and asagne I assume.

I think I know more than a handful that would be in line lightyears before varufakovich or whatever he's called.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:33 | 6368832 The Delicate Genius
The Delicate Genius's picture

well, its not like the greek people themselves expressed any sort of opinion, or that if they had there's any reason why their own politicians should have adhered to their mandate, eh?

Expressio Unius Est Exclusio Alterius

|:

that nigga be treasonous.. *but* only if one assumes he did not have a proverbial, or actual, gun to his head.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:48 | 6368902 WTFUD
WTFUD's picture

The Supreme Court Prosecutor EthelRed
BURN THIS CUNT AT THE STAKE NOW.

That this Bitch dare express Treason shows how fucking disconnected she is with THE PEOPLE.
Falls in line with the Ideology of these EU Governing Parasitic Pox Ridden Scum.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:52 | 6368919 Nobody For President
Nobody For President's picture

Then there is this other country where a lot of folks think Ed Snowden is a traitor...

 

So why the fuck are any USSA type people trashing Greece?

The good ole USSA showed them how to do it.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:55 | 6368952 mog
mog's picture

The EUSSR/Fourth Reich.

Looks like we are heading for the 'show trials'.

Labour camps next?

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 17:58 | 6368962 OutaTime43
OutaTime43's picture

Varoufakis is a Greek patriot. The treasonous ones are those who sold Greece's sovereignty to the highest bidder.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 18:11 | 6369009 g'kar
g'kar's picture

Tzipperass and Varoufuckus were just following orders much like their cousin Obola. There will be no Nuremberg for them, those days are long gone. Collosus, Guardian, Skynet and Jade are in control.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 18:36 | 6369077 WTFUD
WTFUD's picture

When the Neocons like Nuland organise Maidan type executions why cant the folks in Greece organise the take-out of shit like this bitch prosecutor and the gaggle of lawyers lining up after a nod and wink from the Nazi EU?
Greeks, stand the fuck up and take aim at these treasonous Parasites who have sold you out in Parliament, Central Bank and the Courts FFS.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 18:50 | 6369123 The Delicate Genius
The Delicate Genius's picture

Greece doesn't matter.

But it's ports and transit routes sure do.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 18:55 | 6369152 TradingTroll
TradingTroll's picture

If Varoufakis is charged with treason for mere comments, what would Goldman's charge be for its fraudulent plan for Greece to enter the Euro? A plan which they acted upon?

Thu, 07/30/2015 - 04:30 | 6370173 nixy
nixy's picture

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.

Don't know who said that, but I'm pretty sure they were on to something.

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