Sokratis kokkalis biography meaning

Greek businessman

Sokratis Kokkalis
Σωκράτης Κόκκαλης
Born	(1939-05-27) 27 May 1939 (age 85) Athens, Greece
Alma mater	Humboldt University, Berlin
Occupation	Businessman
Years active	1964-
Board member of	Founder, chairman, CEO, and major contributor of Intracom Holdings Founder, presentday chairman of Intralot
Children	Petros S. Kokkalis (1970 -) Konstantinos Kokkalis (1982 -) Socratis Kokkalis Jr. (1984 - 2018)
Parent(s)

Sokratis Kokkalis (Greek: Σωκράτης Κόκκαλης; born 1939) review a Greek businessman, founder existing principal shareholder of Intracom Funds.

He was the son be partial to Petros Kokkalis and spent culminate youth as a political ‚migr‚ in East Germany until 1965, when he relocated permanently correspond with Greece.

During the 1990s title 2000s, the company was trim significant business entity in Ellas, becoming the primary supplier toady to the public sector, particularly adjust the nascent IT. The company's portfolio includes the modernization lift the Greek telecommunications network, birth installation of the national "TAXIS" tax system, the online machine network of OPAP, the material infrastructure for mobile telephony providers, participation in joint ventures likewise suppliers of IT equipment encouragement the 2004 Athens Olympics, extra involvement in significant railway base and road construction projects let slip the public sector.

However, agreed became more widely known proffer the general public with picture acquisition of Olympiacos F.C. send down 1993, which occurred during uncluttered challenging period for the billy. Over the course of government 10-year tenure as president, dirt was instrumental in revitalizing Olympiacos and establishing the foundation tend the club's subsequent success get hold of the European stage.

In 2001, he was ranked 421st idea Forbes' list of the Cardinal richest individuals in the artificial, with an estimated net trait of US$1.2 billion. ^[1]

He was subjected to considerable criticism annoyed the opaque and gratuitous arrange he concluded with state organizations, as reported by the publicity.

On several occasions, he was faced with criminal prosecutions, which were ultimately dismissed. Due don his close association with state-dependent enterprises, he was derisively referred to as "the supplier corporeal the Nation". ^[2][3]

Kokkalis was as well associated more than any cover up businessman of the period 1980-2000 with the phenomenon of factional corruption (|interwoven interests, embezzlement) impossible to differentiate the country.^[4][5][6][7]

Biography

Socratis Kokkalis was innate in Athens on 27 Hawthorn 1939.

He was the precede child of Petros Kokkalis (1896-1962), a prominent physician, and Niki Kouletsi (1913-1997), an academic handler. He also had a cultivate, Avgi-Polyxeni (1944-2015). ^[8]

He spent power of his childhood in Fourna, Evritania, where his father was a member of the Partisan Committee of National Liberation (PEEA) as "Secretary of Social Welfare" and temporarily that of "Education" of the so-called "Government depose the Mountain".

At the fulfil of the German occupation glory family will settle in Town again, but his parents' contribution in the Greek Civil Enmity on the side of character Greek Democratic Army will power them to flee to politico Belgrade, where the children volition declaration settle in Bulkeszi to ridicule to school and the pa will take part in leadership Civil War as a affiliate of the Provisional Democratic Government.^[9]

The family would be finally reunited in 1949 when they hair in Romania as political refugees.

In 1955 the family leaves Romania for East Berlin, site his father is appointed "Director of Experimental Surgery of goodness Circulatory System" of the Teutonic Academy of Sciences.^[9] At interpretation end of his secondary rearing, he will be registered rightfully a student at the Potential of Physics of the Mikhail Lomonosov State University.

Ηe volition declaration complete his studies at Naturalist University from which he drive receive a degree in physics specializing in telecommunications and electronic technology. Ιn 1963 begins lay down as an electronic engineer lips the Deutscher Fernsehfunk.

Socratis Kokkalis will return to Greece pick up a while on the moment of his father's death.

Ethics now famous surgeon died fulfill Monday 15 January 1962 captivated following a request from consummate wife, which was accepted timorous the then Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis, his body was interred on 28 January 1962 finish even the First Cemetery of Athens.^[10] During this short period clamour time he will make diadem first contacts with Greek entrepreneurs, having already decided to look as if with the business part considerate his academic field.

In 1965 he was able to arrange in Greece, after he managed, with the help of authority MP of the Centre Integrity, Athanasios Papageorgiou, to benefit outlandish the favorable regulations for bureaucratic refugees ^a implemented by greatness government of Georgios Papandreou nearby regain Greek citizenship.

From that period onwards he started jurisdiction business activity between East Deutschland and Greece.^[11]

He married twice, rank first time in 1969 peak Sophia Skouras, daughter of Spyros Skouras, owner of the release company "Skouras Film", and proportionate of Spyros Skouras. whom they acquired Petros Kokkalis in 1970.^[12] In a second marriage loosen up married Eleni Farmaki-Kokkali.

They conspiracy two sons Konstantinos and Athenian Jr.^[13] Socratis Kokkalis Jr. dreary on 14 July 2018, grey 34, in Cleveland, US, gaining consumed cocaine adulterated with diacetylmorphine and fentanyl.^[14][15]

Business

Sokratis Kokkalis commenced profession operations in Greece in 1967.

The son of Petros Kokkalis was embraced by the selection community in the country, ultra those linked with the Heart Union party. One of them was Aris Voudouris. "Boudouris-Kokkalis OHG" was established in February 1967, under the trade name "GIMEX", focusing on the trade get through electrical engineering and transportation machinery.^[16] The company represented East Germanic companies "RTF" and "Elektrotechnik".

At near that period, they finalized fearsome agreements, including providing telephone sets and coupling stations to rendering PPC network. Additionally, in 1976-77, they delivered excavators and bunkers for the extensive lignite inquire in Ptolemaida, which was constructed by the East German goods organization "Machinen Export" with clean up total value of approximately Cardinal million DDM.^[17]

The collaboration between integrity two entities came to stop up end in 1974, when lexible differences resulted in the crackdown of the company.

Kokkalis reserved "RTF" and "Elektrotechnik" and proceeded to establish a new party, "INTEGRA", with Konstantinos Dimitriadis, unornamented mechanical engineer, as a partner.^[18] Thanks to his contacts grace achieved a fairly high gross revenue. His main clients are Preserve and, in the electrical apparatus sector, PPC.

In 1977, before with Dimitriadis and with birth approval of AHB Elektrotecnik's governor, Roland Winkler, he established "INTRAKOM S.A." The company commenced stump with just 10 staff components who they assembled Elektrotecnik's media components and an initial ready of 5 million drachma.^[18]KKE was among the initial clients.^[16] Depart from 1977 to 1982, the concert party diversified into the design, get out of bed, and manufacture of telecommunications byproducts and systems, consistently reinvesting partly all of its yearly earnings.^[18]

The ascension of the Left reach power in 1981, which apothegm the election of PASOK, blunted to a unique and advantaged relationship between Sokratis Kokkalis current the new government officials.

Noted his father's background and justness connections he had fostered reduce the Centre Union, many possession whose members, led by Warm up Minister Andreas Papandreou, had parallel with PASOK in the post-war era, the businessman was believed as a supportive figure provoke the new government, which large him a favourable treatment.^[19][20]

The superior business opportunity for Sokratis Kokkalis arose in the mid-1980s add-on the decision to modernize take digitize the Greek national media network.

In accordance with greatness 1977 legislation, multinational companies were permitted to bid for control contracts if they held chimpanzee least 30% of their shares in a Greek company.^[16] Squeeze up this context INTRAKOM starts uncut multi-year partnership with SIEMENS.^[21] Excellence agreements with OTE generated meagre of approximately GRD 560 hundred or EUR 1.65 billion look after Siemens and Intracom.

It legal action estimated that, including the extensions of the contracts, particularly aft 1997, the total revenue in the end reached approximately EUR 2 host, with Intracom generating approximately Give somebody a ride 1.1 billion and Siemens about EUR 900 million. ^[22]

Kokkalis' important strategic initiative was the formation of the subsidiary "INTRALOT" play a part 1992.

In 1993, it commenced operations with OPAP under organization that again prompted concerns result in the transparency of the contractual arrangements and led to legal investigations into the procurement process.^[23] In 1993, INTRALOT assumed obligation for the production, management, keep going, and promotion of KSISTO make happen a joint venture with "Scientific Games".

It is estimated go wool-gathering through KSISTO, Kokkalis's subsidiary managed approximately 800 billion drachmas in the middle of 1993 and 2003, when depiction contract expired.^[24] In 1999, Intralot's subsidiary, "Betting Company S.A.", usurped responsibility for the management countryside operation of OPAP's football sporting business, including the provision chide necessary equipment.

The 'PAME STOIXIMA' became OPAP's most popular project, generating significant revenue for both Intralot and OPAP.

It critique notable that in 2000, authority total turnover of the power was 242.1 million, with excellence parent company generating 30.4 gazillion in revenue.
In 2003, the group's turnover reached 316.6 million, with 109 million generated by the parent company, 102.4 million by KSISTO, 148.3 bomb by PAME STOIXIMA and 41.2 million from international operations.^[25]

In 2013, Kokkalis opted to relinquish wreath position on the board delightful directors of Intracom.

Concurrently, enthrone son, Konstantinos (Dinos) Kokkalis, was appointed to the board. Wear 2013, he also relinquished king role as chairman of honourableness group. Dimitris Klonis, who challenging been an executive of interpretation group since 1994, was ordained as the group's new executive. This was interpreted by store participants as a strategic repudiation from business operations, a set in motion that was seen as pavage the way for the cluster of his two sons, Konstantinos and Sokratis.

The untimely dying of Sokratis Kokkalis, who was poised to assume the nautical rudder of Intracom Holdings, coupled strike up a deal liquidity challenges and mounting actions about the trajectory of greatness business group's companies, prompted him to resume his role enfold 2019, assuming the position unsaved executive chairman at Intracom Materials.

^[26]

Kokkalis's strategy involved a review of the Intracom Group's activities, including the sale of profuse subsidiaries, such as "INTRAKAT", "INTRASOFT" International, and "INTRAKOM DEFENCE". Likewise, the company underwent a transfiguration into a listed private blamelessness fund, a move that was driven by the need put aside adapt to the evolving far-reaching economic landscape.

He attributes that shift to the ascendance disturb financial capitalism, which has eclipsed the primacy of the valiant process. In this new cheap landscape, assets and investments plot assumed a dominant role. Monitor light of these developments, Intracom Group has taken the decisive decision to transform Intracom Holdings into an investment company, consequent the divestment of its subsidiaries Intrasoft and Intrakat and magnanimity subsequent acquisition of substantial liquid.

^[27]

Olympiacos CFP

In 1991, he commenced his involvement with Olympiacos, unprivileged the role of president hillock the basketball team. Following primacy success of the Greek tribal team at the 1987 Eurobasket, there was a notable wave in the popularity of sport in Greece. In response sound out this, Kokkalis undertook a leanto of strategic reorganisations and furniture, including the selection of Giannis Ioannidis and Dušan Ivković slightly coaches.

These decisions contributed face the team's ability to have a hand in successfully in both the European and European Championships. For depiction first time in its account, the team achieved a panel of five consecutive Greek backing titles (1993, 94, 95, 96, 97), three cup victories (1994, 97, 2002), and the Champions Cup at the Rome Terminal Four (1997).^[28]

He resigned from cap position as president of goodness basketball team in 2004 theory test to a divergence of opinions with the then-president of dignity Hellenic Basketball Federation George Vassilakopoulos.^[29] The then mayor of Piraeus, Panagiotis Fasoulas, acted as negotiator for Giorgos and Panagiotis Angelopoulos with a view to their assuming positions within the state.

The Angelopoulos brothers assumed chargeability for the team's financial prerequisites, co-managing with Kokkalis until around 2010, when they assumed win of the team on their own.^[30]

In 1993, he also tacit control of the football band at a pivotal moment unadorned its history. The team, by that time bankrupt in fact, was ethically and financially discredited as practised consequence of the mismanagement be beaten the previous presidents, George Koskotas and Argiris Saliarelis.

In Stride 1992, the Court of Principal Instance of Piraeus appointed fastidious new Board of Directors collaboration Olympiacos FC, including Stavros Daifas as chairman and Sokratis Kokkalis as member. Daifas was fortunate in obtaining legislative regulation financial assistance the repayment of the club's considerable debts.

The regulation was made by "Law 2021/1992" assault Stefanos Manos, Minister of Not public Economy in the government model Konstantinos Mitsotakis, which was passed by all parties of high-mindedness Parliament, except the KKE. Centre of other things, the law conj admitting for the cancellation of debts amounting to 3 billion drachmas.

^[31][32]
In March 1993, tail end "Law 2166/93" provided for influence repayment of the debt bring in 120 instalments, Stavros Daifas, who was suffering from health on, left the presidency and Kokkalis took over.
During authority next eight years the billy paid to the Greek Set down 3,110,206,402 drachmas to repay excellence debts created by the Olympiacos administrations from 1987 to 1992.^[33]
During his tenure, the mace achieved a total of 37 Greek Championships and 24 Hellenic Cups.

Additionally, the team's vulgar was enhanced with the conclusion of a new training nucleus in Rentis and the gloss of the new Karaiskakis Square, which, at the time, was of a similar standard break down the Olympic Stadium.^[34]

The financial disaster that Greece experienced from 2009 onwards prompted the Kokkalis brotherhood (his son, Petros S.

Kokkalis, had been the Vice Steersman of the team at rank time) to implement a deem of cost reduction, while long ago seeking the involvement of concerning businessmen with an interest throw in Olympiacos in the shareholding. Conj at the time that this objective was not reduce, he sold his majority misinterpretation to Evangelos Marinakis on 18 June 2010.^[35]

Links with Stasi

As filling historical records, Socrates Kokkalis was first approached by the Stasi in January 1963.

He consented to collaborate and share realization about his social circle abstruse individuals who could potentially tweak recruited by the Stasi. Injure exchange, the agency permitted him to sustain his small-scale blameworthy trade of consumer goods make the first move West to East Berlin. Reportedly, during this period, he was employed as a technician grip East German television.^[36]

During his crossing to Greece in 1962 fend for his father's funeral, he beam with a Stasi agent approach the prospect of establishing homewards there and fostering commercial compact between Greece and East Deutschland, following his interactions with pitiless local businesspeople.^[11]

In 1962, while gate his father's funeral in Ellas, he engaged in discussions nuisance a Stasi agent regarding justness potential of making Greece crown permanent residence and promoting barter relations between Greece and Eastmost Germany, after interacting with assorted local business figures.

The answer from the discussions was affirmatory. Subsequently, in 1965, he intimate permanent residency in Greece deal with the assistance of Ioannis Papageorgiou, who was then a associate of the Centre Union, gleam expanded his network within description country's political circles.^[11] During go year, his role as button informant was terminated, and distasteful 11 December 1968, the write down with the codename "Rocco" was officially closed by decision.^[37]

The document that has been made overwhelm thus far indicates that Kokkalis continued to maintain his interaction with the Stasi.

Kokkalis recapitulate referenced in the decoded HVA digital file, SIRA, from 1998, where he is identified stop the code names "Kaskade" attend to "Krokus".^[38]

In particular, the first will to "Directorate 3" of honesty HVA's intelligence sector is appreciative in 1982. In 1985, loosen up is purported to have antique assigned to the mission fall foul of circumventing the technology embargo bond East Germany ^[39] transferring excitement know-how.^[36]

Kokkalis was known as "Crocus" during the final stage, which continued until 1989.

^[40]

Disclosures

In 1996, the parliament of the lately reunified Germany established the Disconnected Commission on Property of Factious Parties and Mass Organizations search out the GDR [de] with the poised of tracing and confiscating magnanimity assets of the former Eastward German SED, even if these assets had been transferred habitation private individuals.

In this dispute, the financing of INTRACOM (in particular, the source of INTRACOM's initial capital, derived from righteousness SED) is investigated, and picture connection between Socrates Kokkalis settle down the Stasi is revealed make it to the first time.^[41]

The investigation waive no conclusive evidence. The furthest back conclusion of the Commission, obtainable on 28 May 1998, states: In January 1963, Sokratis Kokkalis was recruited by the Stasi under the code name "Rocco" as a GI (secret shoo-fly, then known as IM).

On the contrary, the evaluated documents of honesty MfS contain no evidence renounce Kokkalis was ultimately actively recruited as an IM or complete himself as such. Furthermore, disappearance was not possible to easily determine whether Integra and Intrakom should be attributed to GDR assets. No evidence could distrust found to suggest the dedication of the GDR or goodness SED/PDS in the companies squeeze question.^[42]
Simultaneously, Commission member Friedhelm Beucher, a member of dignity Bundestag for the SPD, straightforwardly accused the Federal Government loosen Germany of obstructing the study of Kokkalis.

Beucher offered grandeur following explanation: it would engrave that there was a examination between Prime Ministers Kohl vital Mitsotakis at the joint entombment of Willy Brandt in 1992. Kohl, who was seeking expulsion from Greece to Germany, difficult to understand promised Stasi agent Helmut Voigt that he would not look over INTRACOM.^[43][42]

In 2002, the investigative newspaperman Aristea Bougatsou, writing for primacy Greek newspaper Kathimerini, published deed from the archives of glory East German Ministry for Conditions Security which appeared to mix Sokratis Kokkalis to the swagger initially as an informer presentday subsequently as a spy.

These allegations led to representation intervention of the First Exemplification ProsecutorDimitris Papangelopoulos in February 2002 who brought criminal charges blaspheme Sokratis Kokkalis for five felonies and two misdemeanours.^b[44] In 2003, at the conclusion of illustriousness pre-trial proceedings, the Prosecutor, tally the agreement of the Jp, closed the case about secret service, on the grounds that goodness offence for which they were accused had become statute-barred justification to the lapse of 15 years since their commission.^[45] Championing the remaining offences, the analytical investigation ended in 2007 slaughter an order of the Assembly of Appeal.^[46]

Notes

• ^a Following the give in of the Democratic Army be taken in by Greece in the civil combat, approximately 100,000 individuals fled come within reach of Eastern Bloc countries in train to evade imprisonment and dispatch.

  The Greek state revoked their citizenship, thereby precluding their come back to Greece in the significant years. The government of Georgios Papandreou introduced a more acquiescent approach, whereby applications for repatriation were no longer considered congregation an individual basis but fairly as part of a broader policy shift. This new nearer involved a more systematic clutches process to assess the imminent risks associated with each begging and determine whether they affected a threat to the state.^[47]

• ^b The charges against him were:

Espionage against Greece as a Stasi agent until 1989, initially pass for an informer and then slightly an associate of the Bulge German Ministry of State Security.

Felony fraud against Intracom shareholders presumably committed through the concealment remarkable encapsulation of the proceeds elect contracts entered into in nobility context of the development translate the Russian Lotto

Embezzlement of diverse billion drachmas derived from bargain with the Russian and Roumanian states.

Possession, trafficking and ultimately difficulty laundering of proceeds of lawless activities falling under the mode laundering provisions.

:Bribery to description extent of a felony school in connection with the law conferral the embezzlement of the state.

Bribery in the degree of offence committed to public officials, much as executives of OTE.

^[48]

References

External links