Greek reporter acquitted over 'Lagarde List' banks leak

Kostas Vaxevanis says he did nothing more than what a journalist is obliged to do

A Greek journalist who published a list of some 2,000 Greeks with Swiss bank accounts has been acquitted for a second time of breaching privacy.

Kostas Vaxevanis was tried last year and cleared, but in an unusual move a prosecutor had ordered the retrial.

Mr Vaxevanis says the list is the same one that was given in 2010 by the then French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde to her Greek counterpart.

Some of those named are suspected of using the accounts for tax evasion.

The names on the list are said to include politicians, businessmen and others, sparking fury among ordinary Greeks as they are hit by deep austerity measures.

In a separate development, former Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou, who received the list from Ms Lagarde, has been accused of removing the names of three of his relatives.

An inquiry has now concluded that he should be tried for doctoring the list - but Mr Papaconstantinou says he has been framed.