EUROZONE IN CRISIS: Shock New Claims Greece RIGGED Debt Figures Ahead of Huge Bailout

• EUROZONE IN CRISIS: Shock New Claims Greece RIGGED Debt Figures Ahead of Huge Bailout
  by LANA CLEMENTS, http://www.express.co.uk/  
  GREECE’s bailout programme is under threat amid accusations its former statistics chief rigged the country’s official economic data during its debt crisis.
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  Athens is now under pressure from the European Union to deny claims from politicians Andreas Georgiou helped foreign creditors by manipulating public economy figures. Brussels said the row could affect Greece’s rescue programme, which saved the country from bankruptcy last summer. In response the Greek government said it was “surprised” euro officials were urging the state to wade into the official investigation.
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  The new comes after the Supreme Court reopened an investigation into Mr Georgiou who was head of ELSTAT for five years until 2015, following reports he exaggerated debts.
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  Marianne Thyssen, who oversees the European Commission’s data agency Eurostat, said she would not interfere with national courts. Yet added that the Greek government must “actively and publicly challenge the false impression that data were manipulated during 2010-2015 period and to protect ELSTAT and its staff from such unfounded claims”.
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  Failure to do so would damage the already fragile credibility of the Greek state with international creditors, according to Ms Thyssen. The social affairs commissioner said: “It is necessary to get the record straight and avoid misinterpretation because this could be very dangerous.”
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  Before 2010 angry eurozone partners said Greece concealed the depth of its public deficit.
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