BRUSSELS WATCH: Eurogroup To Look At ELSTAT Ex-Head Sentencing

By Tara Oakes

     BRUSSELS (MNI) - The European Commission is watching developments in Greece

"with concern" following the sentencing of the former head of statistics agency

ELSTAT, a Commission spokesperson said Wednesday.

     Former ELSTAT chief Andreas Georgiou was handed a two-year suspended

sentence Tuesday for one count of breach of duty for revising Greece's 2009

deficit figures without consulting board members, newspaper Kathimerini

reported.

     Asked whether the ruling would have any consequence for the Greek bailout

programme, EC Economic Spokesperson Annika Breidthardt said it would be

considered at the Eurogroup meeting of Eurozone finance ministers.

     "This will be looked at by the member states in the context of the

Eurogroup," she said.

     "What is important to us, for the Commission, is that the independence of

ELSTAT continues in line with the law and that people who do their jobs are also

protected in line with the law. That's why we follow these developments with

concern," Breidthardt said, adding that the ruling was still open to appeal.

     On Tuesday the EC reiterated its confidence in ELSTAT data from 2010

onwards.

     Speaking Tuesday, Breidhardt said "We have full confidence in the

reliability and accuracy of ELSTAT data during 2010-2015 and beyond." 

     Georgiou was cleared on Tuesday of other charges relating to

August-November 2010 when he held a post at the IMF while heading ELSTAT,

according to Kathimerini. He resigned from ELSTAT in 2015.

     He had previously been acquitted of the charges before the case was

reopened.

--MNI Brussels Bureau; +44 203-865-3851; email: tara.oakes@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

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