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Sokratis Kokkalis

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Sokratis Kokkalis
Σωκράτης Κόκκαλης
Born (1939-05-27) 27 May 1939 (age 85)
Athens, Greece
NationalityGreek
Alma materHumboldt University, Berlin
OccupationBusinessman
Years active1964 - today
Board member ofOwner & Chairman of Intralot
Owner of Intracom Holdings
ChildrenPetros S. Kokkalis (1970 -)
Konstantinos Kokkalis (1982 -)
Socratis Kokkalis Jr. (1984 - 2018)
Parent(s)

Sokratis Kokkalis (Greek: Σωκράτης Κόκκαλης; 1939) is a Greek businessman, former president and owner of the Piraeus Olympiacos football team.

Biography

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Socratis Kokkalis was born in Athens on 27 May 1939. He was the first child of Petros Kokkalis (1896-1962), a prominent physician, and Niki Kouletsi (1913-1997), an academic teacher. He also had a sister, Avgi-Polyxeni (1944-2015). [1]

He spent part of his childhood in Fourna, Evritania, where his father was a member of the Political Committee of National Liberation (PEEA) as "Secretary of Social Welfare" and temporarily that of "Education" of the so-called "Government of the Mountain". At the end of the German occupation the family will settle in Athens again, but his parents' participation in the Greek Civil War on the side of the Greek Democratic Army will force them to flee to communist Belgrade, where the children will settle in Bulkeszi to go to school and the father will take part in the Civil War as a member of the Provisional Democratic Government.[2]

The family would be finally reunited in 1949 when they settled in Romania as political refugees. In 1955 the family leaves Romania for East Berlin, where his father is appointed "Director of Experimental Surgery of the Circulatory System" of the German Academy of Sciences.[2] At the end of his secondary education, he will be registered as a student at the Faculty of Physics of the Mikhail Lomonosov State University. Ηe will complete his studies at Humboldt University from which he will receive a degree in physics specializing in telecommunications and electronic technology. Ιn 1963 begins working as an electronic engineer at the Deutscher Fernsehfunk.

Socratis Kokkalis will return to Greece for a while on the occasion of his father's death. The now famous surgeon died on Monday 15 January 1962 and following a request from his wife, which was accepted by the then Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis, his body was buried on 28 January 1962 at the First Cemetery of Athens.[3] During this short period of time he will make his first contacts with Greek entrepreneurs, having already decided to deal with the business part of his academic field.

In 1965 he was able to settle in Greece, after he managed, with the help of the MP of the Centre Union, Athanasios Papageorgiou, to benefit from the favorable regulations for political refugees a implemented by the government of Georgios Papandreou and regain Greek citizenship. From this period onwards he started his business activity between East Germany and Greece. [4]

He married twice, the first time in 1969 to Sophia Skouras, daughter of Spyros Skouras, owner of the film company "Skouras Film", and relative of Spyros Skouras. whom they acquired Petros Kokkalis in 1970.[5] In a second marriage he married Eleni Farmaki-Kokkali. They have two sons Konstantinos and Socrates Jr.[6] Socratis Kokkalis Jr. died on 14 July 2018, aged 34, in Cleveland, USA, having consumed cocaine adulterated with heroin and fentanyl.[7][8]

Business

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Sokratis Kokkalis commenced business operations in Greece in 1967. The son of Petros Kokkalis was embraced by the business community in the country, particularly those linked with the Center Union party. One of them was Aris Voudouris. "Boudouris-Kokkalis OHG" was established in February 1967, under the trade name "GIMEX", focusing on the trade of electrical engineering and transportation machinery.[9] The company represented East German companies "RTF" and "Elektrotechnik". During that period, they finalized significant agreements, including providing telephone sets and coupling stations to the PPC network. Additionally, in 1976-77, they delivered excavators and bunkers for the extensive lignite mine in Ptolemaida, which was constructed by the East German export organization "Machinen Export" with a total value of approximately 100 million DDM.[10]

The collaboration between the two entities came to an end in 1974, when irreconcilable differences resulted in the dissolution of the company. Kokkalis retained "RTF" and "Elektrotechnik" and proceeded to establish a new company, "INTEGRA", with Konstantinos Dimitriadis, a mechanical engineer, as a partner. [11] Thanks to his contacts he achieved a fairly high turnover. His main clients are OTE and, in the electrical equipment sector, PPC.

In 1977, along with Dimitriadis and with the approval of AHB Elektrotecnik's director, Roland Winkler, he established "INTRAKOM S.A." The company commenced operations with just 10 staff members who they assembled Elektrotecnik's telecommunications components and an initial capital of 5 million drachma.[11]. KKE was among the initial clients.[9] From 1977 to 1982, the company diversified into the design, development, and manufacture of telecommunications products and systems, consistently reinvesting almost all of its yearly earnings. [11]

The ascension of the Left to power in 1981, which saw the election of PASOK, led to a unique and privileged relationship between Sokratis Kokkalis and the new government officials. Given his father's background and the connections he had fostered with the Centre Union, many of whose members, led by Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, had aligned with PASOK in the post-war era, the businessman was regarded as a supportive figure by the new government, which extended him a favourable treatment. [12] [13]

The significant business opportunity for Sokratis Kokkalis arose in the mid-1980s with the decision to modernize and digitize the Greek national telecommunications network. In accordance with the 1977 legislation, multinational companies were permitted to bid for government contracts if they held at least 30% of their shares in a Greek company. [9] In this context INTRAKOM starts a multi-year partnership with SIEMENS. [14] The agreements with OTE generated revenues of approximately GRD 560 billion or EUR 1.65 billion for Siemens and Intracom. It is estimated that, including the extensions of the contracts, particularly after 1997, the total revenue eventually reached approximately EUR 2 billion, with Intracom generating approximately EUR 1.1 billion and Siemens approximately EUR 900 million. [15]

In 2005 Intracom became a Holding company and acquired Hellas Online, an ISP provider which became a major telephony and Internet supplier. Hellas Online was sold to Vodafone in 2014. The same year Intracom Holdings divested also form the telecom manufacturing arm, Intracom Telecom. The Holding today owns three major companies, the construction branch Intrakat, the software developer Intrasoft International, which is an Oracle partner and a major supplier to the European Commission and the European Parliament, and Intracom Defense Electronics, with a strong partnership with Raytheon. The three companies today employ 2,200 people and have presence in 70 countries around the world. Most of the Group revenues come from exports and international activities.

[edit]

As per historical records, Socrates Kokkalis was first approached by the Stasi in January 1963. He consented to collaborate and share information about his social circle and individuals who could potentially be recruited by the Stasi. In exchange, the agency permitted him to sustain his small-scale illicit trade of consumer goods from West to East Berlin. Reportedly, during this period, he was employed as a technician for East German television.[16]

During his trip to Greece in 1962 for his father's funeral, he spoke with a Stasi agent about the prospect of establishing residency there and fostering commercial ties between Greece and East Germany, following his interactions with some local businesspeople.[4]

In 1962, while attending his father's funeral in Greece, he engaged in discussions with a Stasi agent regarding the potential of making Greece his permanent residence and promoting trade relations between Greece and East Germany, after interacting with various local business figures. The feedback from the discussions was favorable. Subsequently, in 1965, he established permanent residency in Greece with the assistance of Ioannis Papageorgiou, who was then a member of the Centre Union, and expanded his network within the country's political circles..[4] During that year, his role as an informant was terminated, and on December 11, 1968, the file with the codename "Rocco" was officially closed by decision.[17]

The information that has been made public thus far indicates that Kokkalis continued to maintain his connections with the Stasi. Kokkalis is referenced in the decoded HVA digital file, SIRA, from 1998, where he is identified by the code names "Kaskade" and "Krokus". "Decoded Stasi files tell the tale of Agent Krokus". KATHIMERINI. 10 February 2003. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022.</ref>

In particular, the first reference to "Directorate 3" of the HVA's intelligence sector is made in 1982. In 1985, he is purported to have been assigned to the mission of circumventing the technology embargo on East Germany [18] transferring western know-how. [16]

Kokkalis was known as "Crocus" during the final stage, which continued until 1989. [19]

Disclosures

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In 1996, the parliament of the newly reunified Germany established the Independent Commission on Property of Political Parties and Mass Organizations of the GDR [de] with the objective of tracing and confiscating the assets of the former East German SED, even if these assets had been transferred to private individuals. In this context, the financing of INTRACOM (in particular, the source of INTRACOM's initial capital, derived from the SED) is investigated, and the connection between Socrates Kokkalis and the Stasi is revealed for the first time.[20]

The investigation yielded no conclusive evidence. The final conclusion of the Commission, published on 28 May 1998, states: In January 1963, Sokratis Kokkalis was recruited by the Stasi under the code name "Rocco" as a GI (secret informant, then known as IM). However, the evaluated documents of the MfS contain no evidence that Kokkalis was ultimately actively recruited as an IM or committed himself as such. Furthermore, it was not possible to definitively determine whether Integra and Intrakom should be attributed to GDR assets. No evidence could be found to suggest the involvement of the GDR or the SED/PDS in the companies in question. [21]
Simultaneously, Commission member Friedhelm Beucher, a member of the Bundestag for the SPD, publicly accused the Federal Government of Germany of obstructing the investigation of Kokkalis. Beucher offered the following explanation: it would appear that there was a consultation between Prime Ministers Kohl and Mitsotakis at the joint funeral of Willy Brandt in 1992. Kohl, who was seeking extradition from Greece to Germany, had promised Stasi agent Helmut Voigt that he would not investigate INTRACOM.[22][21]

In 2002, the investigative journalist Aristea Bougatsou, writing for the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, published documents from the archives of the East German Ministry for State Security which appeared to link Sokratis Kokkalis to the service initially as an informer and subsequently as a spy.
These allegations led to the intervention of the First Instance Prosecutor Dimitris Papangelopoulos in February 2002 who brought criminal charges against Sokratis Kokkalis for five felonies and two misdemeanours.b[23] In 2003, at the conclusion of the pre-trial proceedings, the Prosecutor, with the agreement of the Magistrate, closed the case about espionage, on the grounds that the offence for which they were accused had become statute-barred due to the lapse of fifteen years since their commission.[24] For the remaining offences, the judicial investigation ended in 2007 with an order of the Council of Appeal.[25]

Sports

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Kokkalis was owner of Olympiacos BC since the early 1990s. During his presidency the basketball club won five Greek championships, three Greek Cups and one Euroleague in 1997, making the Triple Crown the same year.

He was also for 18 years, until 30 December 2010, owner and chairman of the Greek football club Olympiacos FC. He took the club after the difficult years of the Koskotas scandal and managed to bring it back in success.

During his tenure the club won 12 top division titles, five Greek Cups, and one Greek Super Cup. It was also during his chairmanship that Olympiacos leased from the Greek state for a period of 50 years and reconstructed their homeground Karaiskakis Stadium. It was until that time used by Olympiacos and other Piraeus clubs strictly on a rental basis, and undertook a complete rebuilding of the stadium itself.[26]

Controversies

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Kokkalis was criticized by Greek and international media about his activities in Russia, where his company Intralot had sold lottery equipment, technological know-how and software.[27] However, no formal charges were ever filed for any Intralot representative, and the Russian government expressed its trust in Kokkalis and Intralot.[28]

Extensive criticism was also received in the Romanian press by Kokkalis and the companies Intralot and Intracom for allegedly bribing Romanian officials into signing and extending contracts between the Greek firms and the Romanian Lottery that were thoroughly disadvantageous for the Romanian side, with losses totalling up to 1bn Euros as of April 2014.[29][30]

Notes

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  • ^a Following the defeat of the Democratic Army of Greece in the civil war, approximately 100,000 individuals fled to Eastern Bloc countries in order to evade imprisonment and execution. The Greek state revoked their citizenship, thereby precluding their return to Greece in the subsequent years. The government of Georgios Papandreou introduced a more lenient approach, whereby applications for repatriation were no longer considered on an individual basis but rather as part of a broader policy shift. This new approach involved a more systematic screening process to assess the potential risks associated with each applicant and determine whether they posed a threat to the state.[31]
  • ^b The charges against him were:
Espionage against Greece as a Stasi agent until 1989, initially as an informer and then as an associate of the East German Ministry of State Security.
Felony fraud against Intracom shareholders allegedly committed through the concealment and encapsulation of the proceeds of contracts entered into in the context of the development of the Russian Lotto
Embezzlement of several billion drachmas derived from contracts with the Russian and Romanian states.
Possession, trafficking and ultimately money laundering of proceeds of criminal activities falling under the money laundering provisions. :Bribery to the extent of a felony in connection with the law on the embezzlement of the state.
Bribery in the degree of felony committed to public officials, such as executives of OTE.

[32]

References

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  1. ^ "Petros S. Kokkalis". Kokkalis Foundation.
  2. ^ a b Giorgos Lakopoulos (24 February 2012). "«Στο αριστερό κίνημα με ώθησαν τα βιώματά μου»". ΤΑ ΝΕΑ.
  3. ^ Γιώργος Πετρόπουλος (12 January 2003). "Πέτρος Κόκκαλης: Ένας λαμπρός επιστήμονας, στην πρωτοπορία του λαϊκού κινήματος". www.rizospastis.gr. ΡΙΖΟΣΠΑΣΤΗΣ.
  4. ^ a b c Kostas Efimeros (8 January 2017). "Στάζι φάκελος 953/63 – Ο Σωκράτης Κόκκαλης ως «Ρόκκος»" [Stasi file 953/63 - Socrates Kokkalis as "Rokkos"]. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024.
  5. ^ https://sportday.gr/retro/106837_san-simera-spyros-skouras-petheros-tou-sokrati-kokkali-igetiki-morfi-tis-aek.html
  6. ^ https://www.daynight.gr/lifestyle/elenh-kokkalh-doukissa-nomikou-pethera/
  7. ^ "Ohio man gets 15 years in prison for selling fatal drugs to billionaire's son". NBC News. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  8. ^ Press, Associated (17 July 2018). "Son of Greek billionaire found dead in Cleveland hotel room". Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  9. ^ a b c Kostas Vaxevanis (2 July 2010). "ΣΩΚΡΑΤΗΣ ΚΟΚΚΑΛΗΣ: Οι σκοτεινές διαδρομές και η ζωή μπροστά από τους προβολείς". ΠΕΡΙΟΔΙΚ "ΕΠΙΚΑΙΡΑ".
  10. ^ "Reporter" (14 June 1991). "Το χρώμα του χρήματος" [The colour of money]. ANTI (468): 17.
  11. ^ a b c Ian Ford (1 December 2020). "Σωκράτης Κόκκαλης>Τα drones του θα προστατεύουν τα σύνορα της Ευρώπης!" [Sokratiss Kokkalis > His drones will protect the borders of Europe!]. clocwork orange.
  12. ^ "Σωκράτης Κόκκαλης". TO VIMA. 25 November 2008. Archived from the original on 25 July 2024. Intracom's subsequent performance proved the businessman's foresight in anticipating the impact of the Pasok party's ascendance on the country's political landscape and the consequent shifts in the business environment. The socialist party's electoral platform included a pledge to support Greek industry.
  13. ^ "Η περίπτωση Κόκκαλη: Ιστορίες παλαιάς και νέας διαπλοκής" [The Kokkalis case: stories of old and new entanglements]. TO VIMA. 24 March 2019. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. He strongly criticized Costas Simitis for what he perceived to be his "eclectic affinities," which he argued shaped Simitis's tolerance and derived from the historical relationship and participation of their fathers in the government of the mountain.
  14. ^ Menelaos Tasiopoulos (27 March 2019). "Σωκράτης Κόκκαλης: Από τη Siemens στην αγκαλιά του Τσίπρα" [Sokratis Kokkalis: From Siemens to the arms of Tsipras]. www.parapolitika.gr. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022.
  15. ^ "Οι αμαρτωλές συμβάσεις της Siemens με τον ΟΤΕ" [Siemens' sinful contracts with OTE]. NEW POST. 7 June 2011. Archived from the original on 26 July 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Sokratis Kokkalis and the Stasi". Cryptome org. 20 January 2002.
  17. ^ Αριστέα Μπουγάτσου - Ελένη Τριανταφυλλίδη (21 February 2002). "O μυστικός πράκτορας «Rocco» της Στάζι" [Stasi secret agent "Rocco"]. Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021.
  18. ^ Aristea Bougatsou (Αριστέα Μπουγάτσου). "Ποιους κατέδιδε ο «Κρόκους» στη ΣΤΑΖΙ" [Who Crocus was turning into STAZI]. Η ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗ. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022.
  19. ^ Gounev, Philip; Ruggiero, Vincenzo (2012). Corruption and Organized Crime in Europe: Illegal partnerships. London: Routledge. p. 240.
  20. ^ Paul Lashmar (24 February 2002). "Olympiakos soccer chief was 'spy for Stasi'". INDEPENDENT. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017.
  21. ^ a b Ferry Batzoglou (8 March 2006). "Der Sohn des Partisanen". jungle.world.
  22. ^ Evangelos Antonaros. "War Griechenlands "Businessman des Jahres" ein DDR-Spion?". 25 February 2002. DIE WELT.
  23. ^ Giorgos Papahristos (20 February 2002). "Θύελλα και όργιο φημών". ΤΑ ΝΕΑ.
  24. ^ Λευτέρης Χαραλαμπόπουλος (6 November 2018). "H άλλη επιστολή του Κόκκαλη που δεν… γράφτηκε ποτέ, και μια δύσκολη διαπίστωση". το 10.gr.
  25. ^ https://www.in.gr/2007/01/16/greece/kleinoyn-oi-ekkremotites-toy-swkrati-kokkali-me-tin-elliniki-dikaiosyni
  26. ^ "End of an era as Kokkalis retires" Archived 10 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Athens News, 8 January 2011
  27. ^ "Stasi spy claims hit Greek magnate", BBC News, 20 February 2002
  28. ^ "Kokkalis under attack, Athens News, 22 February 2002
  29. ^ "Mafie și spionaj la compania grecească Intralot, cea care a țepuit și România de sute de milioane de euro". Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2014., Ziua News, 8 July 2013
  30. ^ http://www.digi24.ro/Stiri/Digi24/Special/Romania+furata/ROMANIA+FURATA+Politicienii+si+firmele+care+au+pagubit+Loteria+R , Digi24, 2 April 2014
  31. ^ https://www.kathimerini.gr/society/561478306/oi-politikoi-prosfyges-epistrefoyn-stin-patrida/
  32. ^ https://www.kathimerini.gr/politics/111759/poiniki-dioxi-kata-kokkali/
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