Evening star., 1950-12-25
Greek Police Probe
Scandals at Piraeus
Amounting 10 Million,
Ry the Associated Press

ATHENS, Dec. 25. - Greek
police and court authorities are
pressing an investigation of al
legged scandals in the port of
Piraeus organization involving
millions of dollars but the district
attorney has banned all publica-
ton of developments in Greek
newspapers.
Unofficial estimates of the re-
ported embezzelments over a 5l2-
year period range from So to 81
million.
Fourteen persons are being de-
tanned. including the former di-
rector of the port organization,
Nicholas Yenimatas. attorney and
prominent member of the Populist
(Royalist) Party. Twenty-Five
others have been ordered to make
themselves available for investi-
CATION and possible indictment.
The eruption of the scandal in
September led to the custer of the
then Vice-Premier Constantine
Tsaldaris and a wide open break
in the traditionally powerful
right-wing Populist Party.
Loan Made to Son.
Tsaldaris' name was drawn into
the case through a loan made by
a business partner of one of the
defendants to Tsaldaris' son. 1t
was admitted that business part
ner of Nicholas Dendrinelis loaned
young Tsaldaris approximately
100000, interest-free, to operate
his morning newspaper Oi Karoi,
which closed down several months
before the disclosures in the port
organization.
The liberal morning paper Vima
accused Tsaldaris of knowing
about the embezzlements. Tsal-
daris sued the newspaper for libel
and won the case. The pub
Usher and managing editor were
fined.
DendrineliS was formerly in
charge Of the stevedore section
of the port for unloading coal.
During his tenure, according to
charges filed against him. Den
drinelis collected 80 billion drach-
mas in unloading fees but paid
into the cashier only 16 million.
At the current rate of ex-
change the shortage would be
more than 100000. But part
of the alleged embezzlement oc-
CURED when the drachmai rate
was $50, 5000 and 10000 instead
of the current $4,000 to the dol
lar. Some estimates put it up
to a half million dollars.
! = Payroll Padding.
In another instance there were
several hundred fictitious names
on various payrolls. This pay
roll money supposedly was divided
among four or five senior officials
of the port organization.
There are hundreds of cases of
overcharges for various services to
importers.
The Populist Party Of 62 depu-
ties divided over Tsaldaris' leader
ship. In Al open break over the
port scan al, a group led by Ste
phan Stepanopoulos, former Min
lister of Coordination and George
Karamanlis. former Minister of
National Defense, formed the in
dependent Populist Party with
more than 80 of the former
Tsaldaris deputies.
However, among the accused are
members OF the Liberal Party.
They are not SO prominent in
party work as Yenimatas and Den
drinelis, who was detached from
his Pireaus job to Tsaldaris' pri-
vate Office lust before the scandal
broke.
Under Greek law, similar to
English statutes covering criminal
cases, the district attorney can
ban the publication of any news
in connection with the investiga-
ton because it might interfere
with the work of the court. This
has been in effect since a few days
after the scandal broke in Sep
tember.