The Board of Directors of Laiki Bank Pcl (CPB) will sue former Chairman Kikis Lazarides for spreading lies and damaging information against the interests of Laiki shareholders and employees.
Equally important are comments by two Laiki officials, groomed by Lazarides who confirmed to the Financial Mirror that no bribes had been offered to Lazarides.
Platon Lanitis said that the Board of Laiki in a unanimous decision deplores the statements made by Lazarides, describing them as lies and deliberately made ahead of the findings of a report prepared by the Bank’s Internal Audit Committee on Lazarides’ activities at the Bank when he was Chairman.
“We are prepared to defend our interests,” said Lanitis, a major shareholder and Board member who fully backed fellow shareholder, board member and Vice-Chairman of Marfin Financial Group Andreas Vgenopoulos, who earlier was accused by Lazarides of attempting to bribe him.
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Info on journalists
Vgenopoulos dismissed an accusation by Lazarides that he had requested background and financial information on all financial journalists in a bid to exert influence on them in case they opposed the deal as Lazarides accused.
“I have never requested such information, since there was no need for such a thing, as I have left it to journalists to judge for themselves if the merger is good or bad,” said Vgenopoulos.
The Financial Mirror certifies that at no time it has come under pressure or an attempt made to influence the way it has reported on Vgenopoulos, the merger or generally on any other aspect referring to the above.
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Political figures
Vgenopoulos also dismissed the accusation by Lazarides that he had told him that “don’t worry about the deal since I will buy all the politicians,” describing it as another lie.
“I have been to Cyprus 6-7 times and only once stayed here overnight, so how could I buy the politicians and the economic figureheads of this country,” asked Vgenopoulos, who added that his arrival coincided with the movement to kick the establishment out and which is why those being kicked out are resorting to dirty tricks to protect their own interests.
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Secret document
Referring to another accusation by Lazarides that Vgenopoulos attempted to bribe him to support the deal, two senior Laiki officials who were present at the meeting but who wished to remain anonymous told the Financial Mirror that Vgenopoulos is telling the truth and there were no bribes offered or such issues discussed.
“I was there, and I can confirm that a Memorandum of Understanding was presented by Vgenopoulos in the presence of many people and such accusations of bribing are all lies,” said the senior Laiki official who went on to say that he was groomed under Lazarides but now is disgusted by the spreading of such lies.
Vgenopoulos added that until the time that Lazarides was at the bank, there was no merger proposal on the table and no swap ratios were ever discussed.
“He got pissed off when the Board, on the initiative of others, decreed a list on his (Lazarides) duties on paper, which he did not like and for which he decided to resign,” said Vgenopoulos.
The statement was confirmed by Lanitis, as well as Laiki CEO Christos Stylianides.
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Souvla
Regarding another empty accusation by Lazarides that was not backed by one single Laiki employee, that they were unhappy with the deal, Stylianides dismissed such talk and said on the contrary, morale is better.
Vgenopoulos was more forthcoming. “When Lazarides left, the employees were cooking souvla in celebration since they knew that the days of licking for favours and promotion had long gone and their performance would be judged on merit.”
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Let shareholders vote
Vgenopoulos also questioned why Lazarides had chosen a day ahead of the EGM to come up with his accusations and ridiculed his statement that shareholders could not vote.
“Let Lazarides know that Laiki Bank shareholders don’t need guidance and can decide for themselves, and certainly don’t need guidance from him,” said Vgenopoulos, probably referring to the period when the share price went into a free-fall and is only now recovering thanks to the new Board and Management of the Bank.
