Read the full investigation: The murky waters of the Laskaridis shipping empire.
1st response by the Laskaridis brothers
On October 14, 2020 we sent a series of questions by email to Panos and Thanassis Laskaridis. Some of our questions arose from our own original research, while others related to the Greenpeace report published in February 2020.
On October 20 we received the following response from Ms Rita Petropanayiotaki, Head Legal Counsel of the Laskaridis Shipping Company Ltd., on behalf of Thanassis Laskaridis.
Mr Chondrogiannos,
In reference to the questions you have posed in relation to your research on Mr Athanassios Laskaridis, we note the following:
The professional career of both Mr Laskaridis and his family is known. For the main milestones you may refer to a number of credible journalistic sources or Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanasis_Laskaridis
Over the past thirty years, the diverse business activities of the family – which is headquartered in Greece, as is the shipping company – has created more than 6,000 new jobs in the country, contributing significantly to the national economy and contributing billions of euros to the Greek state.
The desire to contribute towards the country’s needs, particularly through the Athanassios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation is the subject of a recent interview by Mr Laskaridis in Sunday Kathimerini.
https://www.kathimerini.gr/life/people/1068100/thanasis-laskaridis-chreos-ton-ploysion-i-prosfora/
The allegations by Greenpeace regarding industrial fishing have been addressed thoroughly by the credible legal office of Hill Dickinson. You may be informed of the content of the response to the organisation in the attached correspondence.
With appreciation,
Rita Petropanayiotaki
Head Legal Counsel
For Laskaridis Shipping Company Ltd.
(As agents only)
In their response, the Laskaridis side attached a letter which had been sent on their behalf by Hill & Dickinson to Greenpeace. Following an exchange of emails, the Laskaridis side informed us that we could use the content of the letter to Greenpeace, but could not publish it in full. In our publication we have included excerpts from the letter.
2nd response by the Laskaridis brothers (regarding a press report relating to Zeus+Dione)
On November 18, we sent a new question to the Laskaridis brothers. In our investigation we planned to make brief mention of publications by Documento newspaper, according to which a company controlled by the Laskaridis family participated in an investment in teh company founded by the wife of the current prime minister, Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotaki. We thought it important to give the Laskaridis side the opportunity to confirm or deny publications which have been widely circulated in the media and social media (we addressed the equivalent question to Ms Grabowski-Mitsotaki, but did not receive a response). We also asked the Laskaridis side if they hold any ownership shares in media organisations. What follows is the response of Head Legal Counsel Ms Petropanayiotaki on behalf of Mr Thanassis Laskaridis.
Mr Chondrogiannos,
The Laskaridis family and the legal entities in their control always act in accordance with the law in all countries in which they pursue business activities. Therefore, anything concerning the family as natural or legal persons is declared to the tax authorities in the countries concerned. As a matter of course we do not respond to publications, nor do we participate in media organisations directly or indirectly, a fact which would in any case be obvious due to the legal obligation to disclose the names of shareholders in publishing businesses. However, as we have noted that you persist in posing malicious questions with the intention of deceit, for reasons unknown to us at present, we inform you that we will defend our legal rights as natural and legal persons wherever necessary, in Greece and abroad, as well as our personal data.
