Cyprus-Forum.com

[Paphitis]

For crying out loud. I just can't believe how political and STUPID Greeks are (media witch hunt).

First, everyone was criticizing Tsipras and Varoufakis for not having a Plan B (in case of GREXIT).

Then, Varoufakis comes out and states that they did have a Plan B of a parallel banking system to the Euro as well as the processes to introduce the Drachma overnight. He stated that it would have been remiss of them not to have a Plan B which I completely agree with.

Now, the media and people are on a witch hunt against Varoufakis and Tsipras for having a Plan B.

Idiots!

[Toran]

It's how editors work. They wake up in the morning go to work the new guy say's 'there's a fireman that saved 8 kids' and the editor goes 'screw that story dig dirt on him'.

Besides most of them are the 10 % that are scarred by Tsipras and Varoufakis.

[repulsewarrior]

...sad.

...and if there was no plan "B", it says something worse, i would think.

[cypriotnado]

But the plan involved secretly raiding and seizing funds from bank accounts and various other dubious practices.

[Paphitis]

But the plan involved secretly raiding and seizing funds from bank accounts and various other dubious practices.

No it didn't.

The plan was to create Pin Numbers for every single Tax File Number in secret. When the order was given, these new profiles would be issued to the owners and the Government was to introduce an IOU system. If necessary, they could convert the parl system to Drachma at a drop of the hat before they issue it as a hard currency in the dead of night.

And by Varoufakis admission, it was only a plane in case Greece was forced out of the EZ.

[repulsewarrior]

...and one could expect a Plan: "C", "D", ...

...the Greek Government has contingencies for war, are they war-mongers?; contingencies, that's what governments, "do".

...while being threatened with expulsion, there is a plan to leave. These Greeks may waiver, (what with the referendum and its results), Tsipras i mean, but 'they' have courage, the courage to lead as Europeans, as Greek Europeans, and/but/yet not necessarily for the status quo. In my opinion, good on anyone who understands that, some, new thinking is needed (at least).

There is no Drachma, and it is not likely soon, these are the facts. For those who are worried, worry now because there is no Drachma. There is the Euro. And let's hope that the intention is there, an end to corruption, an open transparency, a willful desire to be helpful to each other, speaking of Europeans, not just as "Greeks", but as Citizens of the World representing European Values, a leadership in Greece that cares, because "the Euro" as "it" is called, remains a banker's tool, and it does not appear to be 'the Peoples".

[Nikitas]

The nefarious part was the plan to hack into the system and get copies of all the tax numbers, which are regarded as personal data. His explanation, heard on that tape, is that he as minister did not have access to the tax numbers even though they were controlled by a part of his ministry.

Well, yes and no. The public revenues secretariat is an independent authority, just like the central bank. Heads of these independent authorities protect more than policy, their duty is more than to simply follow the orders of their political superiors. He never clarified whether he asked for the numbers and what response he got. Insofar as his plan might have been totally undercover and partly illegal it is as zany as the plan to break into the mint, confiscate the cash reserves, and the plan to arrest the governor of the bank of Greece so as to gain control of the banking system. They apparently think that the guy has some kind of control knob in his office that moves the system. LOL

But this is a secondary problem in view of the brewing row in the SYRIZA party itself, with moves afoot to impeach Tsipras.

We now have a uniquely Greek situation where a diminished ruling party, it lost 39 votes in the last two legislative sessions, passes laws relating to the EU loans, with the support of the opposition. Yet SYRIZA is aiming to send the opposition parties PASOK and ND to trial over their passing of the previous two loan agreements. Naturally the paradox could not go unnoticed and now opposition MPs participating in the parliamentary committee inquiring into the previous loan agreements want to call Baroufakis to testify re his plan.

Ekaman ta salata. And the Troika just arrived in town.

All we need is one of those bands of Hare Krishnas ringing their bells and chanting to complete the zaniness.

[Paphitis]

Zany is an understatement.

I am grappling with the logic. There appears to be no such thing in Greece.

But, from the explanations Varoufakis gave, his working committee tried to hack the Tax File Numbers in order to construct a Parallel Payment System, which is understandable considering the fact that Greece was being threatened with GREXIT and denied any liquidity of its own. I don't see any criminal intent here, just some actions which I would expect in the National Interests of Greece.

The reason for the hack is because it was impossible to let the Troika know about these secret contingency plans. If Troika found out about it, then the negotiations would be undermined as the EZ will use this information to boot Greece out. Apparently, the Germans were hellbent on removing Greece, and it's only French and Italian intervention which prevented the GREXIT.

Varoufakis believes that if he lodged any official request, then the Technical Advisors would know about it.

[cypriotnado]

Some members of Greece’s leftist-led government wanted to raid central bank reserves AND hack taxpayer accounts to prepare a return to the drachma, according to reports that highlighted the chaos in the ruling Syriza party. from yesterdays Guardian

Greece's state prosecutors have set their sights on former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis who faces possible criminal even Treason charges over plans to set up a parallel payments system inside the monetary union. The Controversy centres over whether and this is an example of dubious parts, if he asked a friend and now professor at Columbia University to "hack" into government computer systems to gain access to sensitive taxpayer information and duplicate files for use under the parallel system.

[Paphitis]

Some members of Greece’s leftist-led government wanted to raid central bank reserves AND hack taxpayer accounts to prepare a return to the drachma, according to reports that highlighted the chaos in the ruling Syriza party. from yesterdays Guardian

Greece's state prosecutors have set their sights on former finance minister Yanis Varoufakis who faces possible criminal even Treason charges over plans to set up a parallel payments system inside the monetary union. The Controversy centres over whether and this is an example of dubious parts, if he asked a friend and now professor at Columbia University to "hack" into government computer systems to gain access to sensitive taxpayer information and duplicate files for use under the parallel system.

Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story. The Guardian is ill informed.

This was not done by members of the Siriza Party but the order came from the PM Tsipras to hack into the Tax Accounts in order to secretly introduce a Parallel Payment System by issuing every Tax Payer with a PIN.

The whole thing was done in secrecy with utmost care to keep this contingency a secret from the Troika which wanted to boot Greece from the EZ during negotiations. Greece had no choice.

Tsipras just admitted today that Varoufakis was acting under his orders.

There were no plans to hack into the countries reserves which can be drawn down to pay debts or other Government Financial commitments such as Pensions.

The Collumbia University Professor was employed by Tsipras to construct the Parallel system as well as facilitate the contingencies for possible transition to Drachma.

Tsipras was merely preparing his Government and country for every contingency which included GREXIT, and that of course is his job.

I would be pissed if these contingencies were not properly assessed by his Government and if this so called Plan B never existed.