All six prisoners are being taken to prison after pleading guilty to corruption charges in the case of a criminal organisation that received paid urban services.
According to the indictment, the organization allegedly made a profit of thousands of euros from its illegal activities, while authorities seized amounts that appear to exceed 330,000 euros. According to information from the disputed money, how much 188.000 euros was found in the office of a high-ranking executive in the Building Service of the Municipality of Galatiu, who together with her husband, who was removed from his position in the Municipality of Kifissia, are considered to be the leaders of the criminal group.
The case file records dialogues of the alleged members of the group, as well as specific urban planning cases which were managed by those involved for a fee.
The defendants appeared before the magistrate denying the charges against them and claiming that they never illegally received money for the performance of their duties.
As the 51-year-old defendant , an employee at the Building Department of the Municipality of Kifissia, allegedly said: “At no time did I ask for or receive money for any administrative act. Exclusive purpose and guideline for me was the correct and legal issuance of the respective permits. My conversations with the other defendant (ed. chief executive) were in the context of consultation because of his much greater experience in that position.”
The 57-year-old head of the Construction Control Department of the Kifissia Building Service reportedly told the investigating officer that he has been called upon to explain himself many times as due to his responsibilities “we are often exposed to all kinds of complaints” and stressed and has been exonerated in all of them.
“I categorically deny all the accusations attributed to me. In 32 years of working in the Municipality of Kifissia I have never and in any way violated my duties and certainly have never received money, from anyone, in order to perform my duties. I can only express my surprise that I am facing such serious charges without any investigation as to whether I have in fact breached my duties in any way for the acts attributed to me. Also, without it having been established, even on one occasion, that I have unlawfully received money from anyone. All the charges attributed, at least as far as I am concerned, are based solely on my telephone communications, mostly with friends and colleagues, the content of which has been completely distorted.Otherwise, no evidence against me exists. Exclusively nothing! Except the telephone communications].
The head of the building permit issuing department in the Municipality of Maroussi stated in her apology that in her 25 years of service she never “never sought and never received from anyone, any amount of money or any other form of benefit, either for myself or for anyone else.”
