May.28, 2010, 4:03 AM

A former Greek minister was arrested and charged with money laundering on Thursday after telling lawmakers he had accepted money from German conglomerate Siemens while in office in the late 1990s, officials said.

The socialist government is under strong pressure to punish politicians who have benefited from the country's widespread corruption for decades, as voters hard-pressed by austerity measures demand retribution.

Former Transport Minister Anastasios Mantelis told a parliamentary committee he had received $132,000 from the German engineering group in 1998.

Mantelis could not be charged for taking the cash because of Greece's statute of limitations law but was charged with money laundering, said a court official.

The prosecutor also barred the former minister from leaving the country and going to Azerbaijan, where he is a resident.

Mantelis was arrested later in the day to make sure he will not leave Greece, a police official said. He had told Greek television that he would stay in the country and provide judicial authorities with all necessary explanations.

On Wednesday, Mantelis told a parliamentary committee investigating accusations concerning Siemens that he had received money from executives from the German group.