ATHENS, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Former Greek finance ministerGeorge Papaconstantinou went on trial on Wednesday on charges oftampering with a list of alleged tax evaders in a case thataroused anger among a public hit by austerity policies andeconomic crisis.
Papaconstantinou, who served under former socialist premierGeorge Papandreou in 2009-2011, showed no emotion as he appearedbefore a special court in Athens. "I am innocent," he said. "Icategorically deny all the charges."
The U.S.- and British-educated economist was expelled fromthe socialist PASOK party after prosecutors alleged that threeof his relatives had been deleted from the "Lagarde List".
Papaconstantinou is standing trial for attempted breach oftrust as well as tampering with the list of about 2,000 Greekswith money aboard. They are among the names of holders of HSBC accounts in Switzerland obtained by France in 2010 whenChristine Lagarde, now the International Monetary Fund chief,was the country's finance minister. She passed the Greek namesto the government in Athens.
Tax evasion is a major problem in Greece and has been widelyblamed for helping to cause its crisis. Athens had to take abailout in 2010 to avert bankruptcy but its European Union andIMF creditors demanded tough austerity measures, including taxincreases, as a condition for 240 billion euros in loans.
The new leftist-led government of Prime Minister AlexisTsipras has promised to crack down on tax evasion and wants touse the proceeds to help ease the plight of poor Greeks.
Papaconstantinou was cleared of a charge of breach of dutyby a five-member judicial council after his immunity fromprosecution was lifted by parliament in 2012. However, lawmakersvoted that he should face criminal charges. (Writing by Renee Maltezou; editing by David Stamp/JeremyGaunt)