Konstantinos Antaras, the owner of Greek pizza chain Pizza Fan and a central defendant in a major alleged fraud and tax evasion operation, has been remanded in custody following a joint decision by the investigating judge and prosecutor.

By contrast, Dimitris Iliopoulos, who is accused of acting as the deputy leader of the alleged criminal organisation, has been placed under house arrest with electronic monitoring rather than being detained in prison.

The decisions follow a series of lengthy questioning sessions involving suspects allegedly linked to a scheme operating through the restaurant chain’s outlets.

Eighteen defendants questioned so far

A total of 18 defendants have appeared before the judicial authorities, with Antaras the only one ordered to remain in custody pending trial.

The alleged deputy leader will be confined to his home and monitored through an electronic ankle tag, while the remaining 16 defendants have been released under restrictive conditions.

Some have also been required to post financial guarantees of up to €6,000.

The judicial investigation remains ongoing, with five additional defendants still awaiting questioning. Their appearances before the investigating authorities are expected to conclude in the early hours of Wednesday.

The authorities are examining the alleged involvement and individual responsibilities of each defendant as they continue investigating the suspected fraud and tax evasion network.

The charges remain allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.