Papandreou angrily denies relations with Epstein

“I never had any relationship or communication with Epstein. Full stop,” Papandreou posted on social media Sunday, saying he was responding to a “defamatory posting.”

Papandreou had taken part in an online forum with Deutsche Bank shareholders and investors after the July 15 referendum in which Greek voters had rejected European Union proposals, or at least those presented to them as such by the then Syriza-led government. Apparently, Epstein had taken part in that. For a few days, Greece’s participation in the Eurozone had hung in the balance, until then- Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, ignoring the result of the referendum, negotiated with Greece’s creditors a third loan package coupled with strict economic austerity conditions.

“In that crucial moment for the country, a responsible briefing of the global financial community and a defense of Greece’s remaining in the Eurozone and the European Union was not an option – it was a duty and a respoinsible, patriotic act,” Papandreou said in his post.

“But,” he added, “when they cannot rebuff choices proven corrrect – such as the fight for Greece to remain in the euro and avoid a Grexit – they opt for smear and calumny…The country has paid a heavy price for fake news and conspiracy theories, that aimed at concealing the real causes of the (financial) crisis. Enough with the mudslinging!”