Explosive correspondence dating back to February 19, 2014, brings a burning question to the forefront: what was the nature of the contacts between then-Minister of Development Kostis Hatzidakis and French banker and former diplomat Olivier Colom, who was at the center of the international Epstein scandal?
According to emails exchanged between Jeffrey Epstein and Colom, as revealed by the US Department of Justice, the latter informed the American financier—a convicted sex offender with a vast international network of influence—about his contacts during a trip. Among these, one stands out: "I had lunch with the Greek Minister of Economic Development today: I got 2 mandates for airports."
The date? February 19, 2014. During that period, the Minister of Development and Competitiveness in the government of Antonis Samaras was Kostis Hatzidakis. He held the position from June 2013 to June 2014. There was no other competent minister with this portfolio. The questions arising are relentless: Did such a meeting take place? What were these "airport mandates"? And how do they connect to the privatizations of regional airports occurring at the time?
The international network and "shadowy" connections
The email is not limited to Greece. Colom informs Epstein that he met with a banker from Mongolia, with Alvin Jiang, the CEO of SAFE in Hong Kong, the brother of Filipino tycoon Lucio Tan, Jeffrey Li, and the chairman of the Citic Group, as well as an individual ranked 28th on the Forbes China list.
This is a network of high financial and geopolitical influence, in which Colom appears to act as a mediator, "networker," and link between powerful economic centers and political figures. And he is no random individual. Olivier Colom was a close associate of Nicolas Sarkozy at the Élysée Palace, and later joined the Swiss banking group Edmond de Rothschild, acting as an "internal diplomat" opening channels between politics, financial capital, and international elites.
In recent years, he has been active as the founder of the consulting firm OC Advisory, with a strong presence in African countries and Middle Eastern states. His friendship and close communication with Jeffrey Epstein, who requested they "speak on the phone because he didn't like emails," place him at the center of a global influence ring currently under investigation in several countries.
Declassified emails show that Colom used high-level contacts to serve Epstein's requests, even for accelerating visa applications through a "special process." He communicated with French diplomats and consular authorities to satisfy urgent requests from the American financier and his inner circle. The resulting scenario is chilling: a man with a direct line to Epstein was conversing with top bankers, tycoons, and political figures in Europe, Asia, and Africa—while simultaneously advertising "mandates for Greek airports" following a lunch with a Greek minister.
Coincidence or something more?
The year 2014 was a key year for privatizations and major infrastructure investments in Greece. Pressure from lenders, restructurings, and tenders for regional airports were in a critical phase. The fact that Colom informed Epstein of "mandates" allegedly resulting from a lunch with the then-Minister of Development creates a web of questions that cannot be ignored.
Did such contact exist? If it did, was it a simple professional contact within the framework of banking services? Or was it part of a broader network of international connections where political power and financial influence intersected with individuals now linked to one of the greatest scandals of the 21st century?
The Epstein case has proven that behind social acquaintances and "business lunches," deeper power relations were often hidden. And when Greek airports, international oligarchs, and Jeffrey Epstein coexist in the same correspondence thread, the shadow falling over the political scene is not just heavy. It is deafening.
Hatzidakis: Some have crossed every line and have no shame for what they write
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, "What is mentioned in certain website reports about an alleged meeting of Kostis Hatzidakis, in February 2014, with a Mr. Colom, who was related to the Epstein list, are figments of imagination." Kostis Hatzidakis neither remembers such a meeting, nor does anything of the sort emerge from his agenda of that period.
Furthermore, he was not even responsible for airports in 2014, as stated in the reports in question. Even if, theoretically, a meeting had taken place between anyone and said gentleman during that period, what could the conclusion be? "The conclusion is basically one: that some have crossed every line and have no sense of shame for what they write," the Deputy Prime Minister concludes.
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