Greek ex-minister's home now a monument to corruption

Page last updated at 04:53 GMT, Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 09:53 EST

AFP:

People pass by the house where Akis Tsochatzopoulos, 72, a former defence minister of the socialist party Pasok, lived

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Athens has gained a new tourist attraction alongside its ancient Acropolis, as visitors flock to view the nearby upmarket home of a disgraced former minister that has become a symbol of corruption.

"After the Acropolis museum, this has unfortunately become the second main attraction here -- the home of a corrupt minister," said one young Greek outside the mansion where Akis Tsochatzopoulos, 72, a former defence minister of the socialist party Pasok, lived before landing in jail.

On a pedestrian street lined with olive trees in one of the most expensive parts of town, the opulent pale-yellow mansion where he lived in the penthouse apartment competes for attention with the Parthenon temple that sits atop the Acropolis citadel.

Groups of chattering visitors arrive in search of the house and try to peer through the windows to confirm what they have heard about Tsochatzopoulos's reportedly luxurious lifestyle.

Read the whole story: AFP