Criminal charges have been brought against 59 individuals involved in the major tax fraud case concerning the “Choriatiko” bakery chain, with losses to the Greek state exceeding €100 million.

Depending on their alleged involvement, the 59 individuals face the following charges:

1. Forming, directing, and participating in a criminal organization.
2. Fraud against the Greek state and public-law entities, involving amounts exceeding €120,000.
3. Tax evasion exceeding €150,000, through the submission of inaccurate tax returns and failure to remit VAT.
4. Aiding and abetting tax evasion.
5. Failure to pay employer and employee social security contributions on time (misdemeanor).
6. Forgery involving amounts exceeding €120,000.
7. Pimping, jointly committed and repeatedly.
8. Robbery committed jointly.
9. Fraud committed jointly (misdemeanor).
10. Repeated violations of residency restrictions.
11. Aggravated money laundering.

Given the large number of defendants, the case file has been assigned to an investigating judge assisted by two deputy investigating judges.

Earlier in the morning, Charalambos Vourliotis, head of the Authority for the Prevention of Money Laundering and a former deputy prosecutor at Greece’s Supreme Court, ordered the freezing of all assets belonging to the individuals accused in the Choriatiko bakery fraud case.

The freeze covers bank accounts, safe-deposit boxes, real estate, and other assets.