Greece ministers blamed over Swiss bank account list
Journalist Costas Vaxevanis has told the BBC that politicians should be prosecuted for keeping secret the names of Greeks with Swiss bank accounts.
The magazine editor goes on trial on Thursday charged with breach of privacy for publishing 2,000 names of people with accounts at HSBC.
French authorities gave the names to their Greek counterparts two years ago.
Greek officials have said there is no proof that those on the list have broken the law.
Some of those named, said to include many prominent Greeks, are suspected of using the accounts for tax evasion.
Mr Vaxevanis, 46, said he published the list in his magazine Hot Doc "because I'm a journalist and it's our job to tell the truth to the people".
"The three last governments have lied and have made a mockery of the Greek people with this list," he said.
"They were obliged to pass it to parliament or to the justice system. They didn't do it and they should be in prison for it."
Mr Vaxevanis said he thought the government had not acted on the list because it included friends of ministers, businessmen and powerful publishers.
He also accused much of the Greek media of ignoring the story.
"The Greek press is muzzled," he said. "There is a closed system of power in Greece, wielded by the political elite, businessmen and journalists."
"If I need to go to prison I will do," he said. "Not because I'm a hero, but to show the injustice of what is happening in Greece."
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