On the initiative of the head of the Anti-Money Laundering Authority, former deputy prosecutor of the Supreme Court Charalambos Vourliotis, audits of officials at urban planning departments throughout Greece.
Specifically, Mr. Vourliotis, with the assistance of specialized staff, will review all financial records of employees holding key positions in urban planning departments throughout Greece.
The Authority is investigating urban planning officials who were recently arrested for participating in a criminal organization and have been sent to prison, as well as their colleagues in all urban planning departments across the country, while the investigation will also extend to their relatives. Their tax returns will be audited, the sources of wealth declarations of those required by law, as well as when the assets they declare were acquired and whether their acquisition is justified by their income. Furthermore, any third parties who may have played a role as accomplices in money laundering will also be investigated.
“This is, by its very nature, a massive investigation that will take a long time, however, the goal is to conduct in-depth, long-term investigations into individuals serving in key positions to determine whether any corrupt officials,” officials from the Authority stated.
Regarding those currently in pretrial detention in the latest criminal case, Mr. Vourliotis identified real estate and cash, for which he has issued a seizure order.
The Authority’s work does not stop here, as it has carried out two more seizure operations.
One involves the pharmacist in the northern suburbs, who was recently arrested and released, as the Authority seized 2.5 million euros in cash. The second involves a case of trafficking in adulterated olive oil, with the estimated loss to the state amounting to 3.5 million euros. At the same time, the Authority identified more than ten properties, numerous vehicles, and a bank safe deposit box, all of which were seized by order of Mr. Vourliotis.
