S O C V ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ Bringing the news W ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ to generations of E ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald Greek- Americans N c v A wEEkly GrEEk-AmEriCAN PuBliCATiON www.thenationalherald.com VOL. 17, ISSUE 847 January 4-10, 2014 $1.50 Head of a Children’s Greece an Hospital in Greece Ideal Place Faces Bribery Charge For Advent By Andy Dabilis ernment of Prime Minister An - Of Medical TNH Staff Writer tonis Samaras, the New Democ - racy Conservative party leader, ATHENS – The former Board has been cracking down. Tourism Chairman of a the largest state Tombouloglou, who has al - children’s hospital in Greece, tered his version of why he took who was charged with demand - the money – which he admitted ing a bribe in return for approv - – said he needed time to pre - Fertilization Expert ing a contract to help children pare his defense. He said, “The Tells TNH That with obesity, was released on truth will shine,” although he bail after a long deposition. didn’t elaborate. IVF is Catalytic in Haris Tombouloglou must “I believe in God and justice,” post a 150,000-euro bail and is he said. “This is a setup. The Attracting Patients forbidden to leave the country. money I took was a gift for the He faces charges of soliciting a hospital. The company was By Constantine S. Sirigos 25,000-euro bribe from an ad - afraid that it would be excluded TNH Staff Writer vertising firm that had secured from the tender,” Tombouloglou a $190,000-euro contract to co - said on his arrest. NEW YORK - Too few Greek- ordinate an information cam - “It is a frame-up. The money Americans – and international paign the child obesity program. I took was for a gift to the hos - investors – are aware of the Tombouloglou, 54, was ar - pital. The specific company was fields where Greeks firms are rested on Christmas Eve after remiss in its obligations and world class and have tremen - he was allegedly handed the re - that’s why it was afraid of losing dous commercial potential. The quested bribe in marked notes. the bid,” he told the press, the promising realm of medical He was fired from his hospital Athens News Agency reported APPHOTO/PETrOS GiANNAkOuriS tourism is one of them, and In position and his full-time job at Health Minister Adonis Geor - In Greece, it’s Bye Bye 2013 and Let’s Hope for a Better Year in 2014 Vitro Fertilization (IFV) has a the National Bank of Greece. giadis ruled out Tombouloglou’s prominent place within it. Dr. The taped conversation was claim. “For a donation to take Fireworks explode over the Parthenon at the Acropolis during the New Year's Eve celebrations. Konstantinos Pantos, an IFV damning, with Tombouloglou place, it must first be approved More so than most people around the world, the people of Greece and Cyprus are anxious to practitioner based in Athens, reportedly saying: “What kind by the board … there is no such put 2013 behind them. The New Year fills them with both apprehension and hope: the govern - visited TNH headquarters to talk of an idiot would I be to have thing as an oral deal made in a ment is trumpeting prospects for economic growth for the first time since 2007. about his field and these dy - made a 190,000-euro deal and cafeteria,” Georgiadis said. He namic initiatives. not kept a cent for myself?” said the government will have In addition to being at the Tombouloglou has denied “zero tolerance” for corruption. forefront of their science and charges of blackmail and bribe Georgiadis said that the gov - profession, Dr. Pantos said he taking, referring to a “frame- ernment “will show zero toler - Is there a Greek Gene of Mistrusting? and his colleges “are very proud up,” and has described the ance towards corruption phe - that we are able to turn around 25,000 euros he is alleged to nomena” and called for his the flow of patients in and out have sought from an advertising punishment. Samaras, the New ANALYSIS Greeks are united when they THEMSELVES of Greece in his field into a mas - firm as “a donation.” Democracy leader, has been By Dr. John A. Tsiouris have to fight a common enemy, Since Greece became an inde - sive influx of patients.” But photos emerged showing pushing a purge of the corrupt. Special to The National Herald especially when their country is pendent state, there have been They demonstrate that in him pocketing an envelope. The At a press conference, Geor - invaded. Greece consisted of city- many opportunities for the spite of the economic crisis, photos followed the leaking of giadis said Samaras had been The general opinion between states that used to fight each Greeks to work together and there are centers of excellence a recorded conversation be - advised of Tombouloglou’s ac - Greeks in Greece and in the Di - other often, but came together to make Greece a paradise for them - in Greece. tween him and an alleged inter - tivities months ago and praised aspora is that Greeks cannot work fight the Persians who invaded selves and tourists alike. Unfor - Medical tourism is an emerg - mediary in which Tombouloglou the police over the operation to together as a team. Greeks do not Greece in ancient times. Modern tunately, the divisions between ing practice of patients traveling can be heard threatening to can - arrest him in a sting, where the agree on having the same leader, Greeks united against the Turkish Greeks as they struggled for po - from their own country to other cel the contract that the ad firm hospital chief was found with cannot prioritize, and cannot occupation during the war of in - litical and economic power or for parts of the world for quality won earlier in the year. the cash in his possession. agree on the methods to imple - dependence, although many the establishment of a political treatment at lower costs, and an A 40-year-old man has been Georgiadis said that ment their decisions in order to fights were reported between var - ideology in the country, along aesthetically pleasant environ - charged as an accomplice in the Tombouloglou, he said, had solve their nation’s problems. Is ious Greek factions. The same with the intervention of foreign ment in which to recuperate. affair but hasn’t been named. been appointed by the Aglaia this general opinion true, and if was true during the war of 1912, powers, has worked through the Pantos believes that medical The practice of payoffs in en - Kyriakou Foundation, of which so, how can it be explained? and especially during the Italian years against Greece’s potential tourism has great potential for velopes, the so-called “fakelaki,” he is a permanent member and Unfortunately, there are not and German invasions during political and economic stability. Greece and IVF is main area is a common cost of doing busi - any scientific studies to prove or World War II. now, along with hemodialysis. ness in Greece although the gov - Continued on page 7 disprove it. History suggests that ARGUING AMONG Continued on page 4 He said the Greek Parliament is working on a law to facilitate investments and affiliations with international institutions and to assist people who want to come Kasselakis Discusses Way to Greece for treatment. Companies are emerging to facilitate medical tourism. Al - To Help Youth of Greece though Pantos is not aware of any agents here working with practitioners in Greece, Tsunis Attain Promising Careers says that is an important next step. “They will help not only with the arrangements but also By Constantine S. Sirigos is to get the word out, and that in establishing a level of trust, TNH Staff Writer too is Koutsomitis’ responsibil - which is important.” ity. IVF is a method for infertile NEW YORK – Commentators During a holiday visit to New couples to have babies and his sometimes forget it is not coun - York, she spoke to TNH about clinic’s success attracts people tries that undergo transforma - the birth and goals of the com - from all over the world. tions, the people who comprise pany that began with conversa - Pantos himself has eight chil - them do, and the heroes are not tion with people like Stefanos dren. Born and raised in Mel - the technocrats with who mas - Kasselakis. At the time she was bourne, Australia, his roots in ter the policy tools or politicians transitioning from finance to are in Epirus. He earned his with communication gifts, but marketing and developing web - medical degree at the University those who can offer one-on-one site expertise. She was happy to of Athens and after received guidance and inspiration. give advice to Kasselakis, a Doctorate in Medicine there he CVfromGreece is an en - Goldman Sachs employee who specialized in medically assisted deavor born of the Hellenic Di - was then based in London and reproduction technology in Aus - aspora’s desire to assist the is now in New York. tralia. younger generation of Greeks After the decision to move When he returned to Greece that has been hit especially hard forward “we worked with free - and in 1994 he established the by the economic crisis. Well ed - lance developers at 5 AM get - Center for Human Reproduc - ucated, but with unemployment ting this done.” tion, one of Europe’s largest at 70 percent, they have no Her marketing and public re - with a staff of 80 including 14 choice but to look outside lations duties also entail reach - biologists.