The six arrested are expected to plead guilty on Saturday, following bribery allegations at the Thessaloniki forensics.

The accused crossed the “threshold” of the prosecutor yesterday. A criminal prosecution was brought against them, which concerns, on a case-by-case basis, a total of 14 acts (felony and misdemeanor), among which are those of the gang, bribery of an official (direct and simple complicity), bribery and granting false medical certificates.

They were then referred to the 1st special interrogator of Thessaloniki to answer the charges and were given a deadline for the next few days, while until then it was decided to remain in custody.

The accused were arrested by the Internal Affairs Service of the Security Corps of Northern Greece. Among those arrested are a medical examiner, a necrotomist, a retired police officer, a funeral director, and two private citizens. The macabre conspiracy that was allegedly set up involved 48 other people.

Their modus operandi

According to what was made known by the police, the accused did additional grooming, cosmetic work, and also guarding of bodies and even… embalming for a fee. In fact, according to the accusation, the people involved also operated a special refrigerator in a private place without a license for the conservation of bodies.

The case file formed includes an additional 48 identified individuals, who – on occasion – are charged with criminal organization, bribery and corruption of an official, simple and direct complicity, issuing and using false medical certifications, false affidavit, misappropriation of a document, misconduct in office, violation of drug and firearms laws as well as laws relating to study-licensing offices and other health regulations.

Specifically, in the context of a complaint investigation, with the assistance of the Ministry of Justice, the actions of those involved emerged, who, with alternating composition on a case-by-case basis, were repeatedly receiving bribes from private funeral directors, both for actions related to their official duties and, taking advantage of their status, for actions beyond their duties.

As it turned out, the employees involved, according to the authorities, received monetary benefits for storing bodies in the refrigerators of the Forensic Service, both for cases that were examined under orders of a preliminary investigation authority and for bodies that would not be subjected to forensic investigation and therefore neither their transport nor their storage in the premises of the Forensic Service was allowed.

In fact, in violation of their duties and taking advantage of their status and position, after relevant consultation and agreement with owners of funeral parlors, they repeatedly received bodies within the Forensic Service and carried out additional enhancement-embalming, as well as embalming, for which they then issued false medical certifications – embalming certificates, which were then deposited with public authorities.

It is noted that, according to the Ministry, the additional care, the embellishment of bodies and embalming were not part of the duties of these employees, but were carried out within the Forensic Service and were done on the occasion of their service, using their official capacity and influence.

In fact, they proceeded with the above illegal actions even on holidays or during non-working hours, sometimes using materials of their Service, without relevant permission-approval.

At the same time, it was found that the defendants performed medical embalming operations in places outside the Forensic Service, for which they did not have the relevant permit from the Ministry of Justice.

In addition, according to the Ministry’s statement, it was revealed that the accused forensic officer has falsely attested that she attended an embalming procedure as required, while for the retired police officer she was in charge of the completion of the procedural part of the procedure while she was in the action, falsely attesting to the authenticity of her signature.

In the course of their criminal activity, it was revealed that the accused employees of the Forensic Service had drawn up a “price list” with the sums of money corresponding to each type of act they would undertake to carry out, as below:

• -25 euros per day, for the irregular storage of bodies in the refrigerators of the Forensic Service,
• -50 euros for each case of additional care, grooming of a corpse, and
• -250 euros, for each case of embalming of a corpse and issuing a certificate of embalming without the on-site presence of a coroner.

From the investigation so far and with a combination of special investigative methods, it has been established that the defendants were involved in 16 cases of embalming, in which they received monetary benefits and then prepared false medical certificates- embalming confirmations.

From the subsequent physical searches, as well as from searches of homes, vehicles, and other business premises, the following were found, among other things, and seized:

• 4 mobile phones,
• 2,700 euros,
• 32 gold pounds,
• book – VAT invoice and book – receipt,
• handwritten notes and names of persons, and the notebook,
• two round stamps of the Forensic Service and -4 stamps of other contents,
• 17 narcotic tablets, without the required prescriptions,
• two syringes,
• glip,
• four service invoices and two service receipt pads,
• leather belt with -30- shotgun shells,
• service ID card,
• Police ID card and -2- photocopies thereof, and
• a briefcase containing embalming tools.