Sweeping inspections targeting officials of urban planning services across Greece are being launched on the initiative of the head of the Authority for the Prevention of Money Laundering and former Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Charalambos Vourliotis.

Mr. Vourliotis, with the assistance of specialized staff, will thoroughly examine all financial data of employees holding key positions in urban planning departments from one end of Greece to the other.

Under scrutiny are not only the urban planning employees recently arrested for involvement in a criminal organization and already imprisoned, but also their colleagues in all urban planning services. The investigation was triggered by the recent case involving the network.

In fact, the Authority’s investigation will not stop at the individuals—employees and senior officials of urban planning departments—but will also extend to their relatives. Their tax declarations, “pothen esches” (asset declaration forms) for those legally obliged to submit them, as well as the timing of acquisition of declared assets and whether their acquisition is justified by their income, will be thoroughly examined. In addition, third parties who may have acted as accomplices in the circulation of illicit funds will also be investigated.

“This is, by nature, a massive investigation that will take a long time; however, the aim is to thoroughly examine individuals serving in key positions to determine whether any offense of money laundering may have been committed by certain corrupt officials,” said relevant sources, fully aware of the difficulty of the undertaking. For this reason, for each urban planning office where the investigation is completed, if indications are found, a separate report will be drawn up. If evidence of criminal conduct emerges, it will be forwarded to the competent prosecutor for a preliminary investigation into money laundering, while suspiciously acquired assets will be frozen.

Regarding the individuals temporarily detained in the latest criminal case, Charalambos Vourliotis has identified properties and cash for which he has already ordered asset freezes.

However, two more seizure operations by the Authority are also significant.

The first concerns—according to reports—a pharmacist in the northern suburbs who was recently arrested and later released, as the Authority identified €2.5 million in cash.

The second concerns a case involving the distribution of adulterated olive oil, with the estimated damage to the state reaching €3.5 million. According to the same reports, the Authority identified more than ten properties, numerous vehicles, and a bank safe deposit box. A freeze order has also been issued for these assets.