Greek 'dirty money' committee cleaned out

ATHENS, Greece, July 18 (UPI) -- A committee charged with cleaning up Greece's money-laundering has itself been cleaned out by government authorities with whom it clashed.

The head of the current graft-busting committee, Giorgos Zorbas, a thorn in the government's side for years, is among those being cast out of power, the Kathimerini news service said Friday. A new officially independent body with eight members serving three-year terms will be under the control of Economy and Finance Minister Giorgos Alogouskoufis, as laid out in a bill submitted to Parliament Thursday.

Zorbas had battled with the government during an investigation into the purchase of a $443,603,711 government bond by four pension funds. The report was never made public, but leaked portions suggested there had been excessive profits and some money ended up with an unidentified political party, Kathimerini reported.