A fiery new complaint adds another dimension to the corruption scandal shaking the Rhodes Urban Planning Department, now in police hands and included in the investigation files. According to revelations by protothema.gr, the allegations target two of the seven already arrested in the case, who reportedly formed a criminal gang within the public administration, exploiting their positions to acquire large sums of money through extortion and illegal transactions.

According to the extensive document, the two corrupt employees did not hesitate to threaten and blackmail property owners and engineers, demanding substantial sums to “facilitate” building permit issuance and file settlements. Allegedly collaborating with private engineers and other involved parties, they promoted cases with financial interests, selectively avoided conducting inspections, and neglected issuing lawful decisions.

Particularly striking are the allegations regarding the lifestyle of the two employees, seemingly living far beyond their public salaries. According to the complaint, they engage in luxurious travel, own expensive cars and clothing, and spend considerable time gambling at Rhodes’ casino, using money reportedly obtained through extortion. The complainant urges authorities to open the involved parties’ bank accounts, investigate their assets, and monitor their telephone and electronic communications to determine the extent of the illegal transactions and number of involved individuals. This new complaint reinforces suspicions that the case in the Rhodes Urban Planning Department is deeper and more extensive than initially estimated, exposing a corruption mechanism that seemingly operated unchecked for a considerable period.

Money hidden under mattresses

Bundles of cash, hidden among clothing, mattresses, and envelopes as if in scenes from a crime novel, were discovered in the home of a Rhodes Urban Planning Department employee arrested during a major investigation into the island’s planning corruption ring. Police revelations have caused shock, demonstrating the methods employed by suspects to conceal illicit money, avoiding banking systems and controls. According to pre-trial data, during a search at the implicated employee’s residence, a total of €28,400 was discovered in four separate locations within the bedroom:

• €600 in bills, hastily placed in the bedside table’s top drawer. • €5,000 found beneath the mattress in the bedroom. • €12,800 also hidden beneath the mattress, carefully placed in a paper envelope among clothing. • €10,000 in €50 bills discovered in a black bag hidden under the same mattress, which also contained numerous documents and envelopes. Most troubling was the discovery of three wooden stamps bearing architects’ names within the same bag, raising significant concerns about their use, whether for document forgery or illegal issuance of building permits.

This particular planning department employee is among the main individuals investigated for participation in issuing fraudulent or inflated permits for payment and facilitating construction violations. Authorities are now examining if the money found in the house relates to bribery allegations and whether the stamps are connected to document forgeries or favors done through false documentation. The investigation continues intensively, with further developments and revelations expected as the case now reaches the core of the network that has exploited Rhodes society for years.