Four former athletes – three former footballers and a former basketball player – have been named in a substantial case file concerning four allegedly interconnected criminal networks operating in the catering and hospitality sector, investigated by the Macedonia Special Financial Audit Unit (MEOEL) of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE).

The individuals are former footballers Pantelis Kafes, a member of Greece’s squad at Euro 2004, Spyros Vallas and Petros Kanakoudis, as well as former international basketball player Panagiotis Liadelis. Their names appear on a list of 1,283 defendants in the case. The case file was forwarded to the Thessaloniki Prosecutor’s Office on 7 November 2026.

According to the findings of the investigation, a total of 917 companies have come under scrutiny, while the estimated loss to the state stands at €206.26 million.

On page 16 of the accompanying report, former international footballer Pantelis Kafes is listed alongside his two brothers, identified by their initials, D.K. and A.K.

According to the report, D.K. is among the alleged leading members of the second network, having reportedly acted as its de facto manager.

The case file also contains information concerning the submission of tax returns by a specific company, as well as complaints filed by the National Social Security Fund (EFKA) and the Centre for the Collection of Social Security Debts (KEAO).

More specifically, a complaint has been recorded against D.K. over unpaid social security contributions amounting to €42,836.61, while three complaints against A.K. are included, totalling €104,602.68.

The same page of the case file also names Spyros Vallas, who played as a centre-back.

The former international footballer is included on the list of defendants. However, the specific information provided does not indicate what role he is alleged to have played in the operation of the networks.

Petros Kanakoudis, a former professional footballer who played as a left-back, also appears on the same list.

Kanakoudis began his football career in the youth academy and first team of PAOK, before going on to play for several clubs, including Veria, Asteras Tripolis, PAS Giannina, Iraklis, Apollon Smyrnis and Kerkyra.

Notably, Petros Kanakoudis and Spyros Vallas were teammates at Veria during the 2005–06 season. The Kafes brothers are also from Veria.

The case file also includes former international basketball player Panagiotis Liadelis, whose details appear on page 41 of the accompanying report.

On page 101, his mother, identified by the initials P.L., is also listed as a defendant in the same case.

However, the information presented contains no further details about the alleged role of either the former basketball player or his mother in the four networks.

As for the alleged criminal offences under investigation, the report submitted by the Macedonia Special Financial Audit Unit includes, among others, participation in a criminal organisation, forgery, fraud, evasion of social security contributions, tax evasion, failure to pay debts to the state and money laundering.

It should be stressed that the inclusion of these individuals in the case file does not mean that they are personally accused of all the offences listed above, nor does it prejudge their criminal liability. Establishing each individual’s alleged involvement and determining the specific charges against them are matters for the competent judicial authorities.

AADE’s announcement and George Pitsilis’s statement

Meanwhile, two central figures under investigation as part of Operation Straw Men, the final stage of which took place in Thessaloniki from the evening of Thursday, 5 November 2026, under the coordination of the competent prosecutorial authorities, are still being sought by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue’s Financial Transactions Control Forces (DEOS) and the Hellenic Police.

They are businesspeople active in the nightlife and catering sectors who are being investigated over possible involvement in a case concerning the non-payment of taxes and social security contributions.

On Friday, 6 November 2026, two consecutive reports published by a particular website disclosed information about Operation Straw Men while it was still under way. The reports included references to the individuals being sought, who were identified by their initials.

The same reports also named AADE officials who had travelled to Thessaloniki to coordinate the operational aspects of the investigations, questioning and arrests. The publication of these details could have affected the smooth conduct of the operation and created risks for the safety of the officials involved.

Immediately after the information was published, AADE Governor George Pitsilis contacted Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis, requesting assistance from the competent police authorities in locating and bringing in the individuals being sought.

He also informed the Prosecutor of the Supreme Court about the reports and filed a criminal complaint against any responsible parties with the Athens Prosecutor’s Office, requesting an investigation into possible offences involving the disclosure of official secrets, the breach of confidentiality during preliminary criminal proceedings and harbouring a criminal.

Pitsilis’s statement

“For almost eleven years, as head of the country’s Tax and Customs Administration, I have never taken legal action against a journalist or media outlet over any malicious or offensive criticism, whether directed at me personally or at the work of the Authority.

“This case, however, is not about malicious criticism. It concerns the publication of information connected to an operation that was still under way, at a time when critical investigations were ongoing and specific individuals were still being sought. It concerns the effectiveness of the investigations, the safeguarding of evidence and the safety of officials operating in the field.

“In a case of this kind, the Administration has a duty not to remain passive. It must uphold legality and ensure that its auditing services can carry out their mission unhindered and effectively, without the safety of their personnel being put at risk. In a state governed by the rule of law, the possibility of information relating to ongoing investigations being leaked cannot be treated as a matter of indifference. Nor can it be acceptable to regard the effectiveness of auditing and law enforcement mechanisms as negotiable. No end justifies such means.

“Investigating incidents of this kind is not a matter of administrative choice. It is an institutional obligation.

“For this reason, I submitted a criminal complaint to the competent judicial authorities. I did so to ensure that incidents which could affect the functioning of justice, the effectiveness of investigations and the protection of the public interest are brought before the appropriate judicial authorities and investigated fully and thoroughly.

“The fight against large-scale tax evasion and organised financial crime is not the responsibility of a single agency. It is a matter for the rule of law. And the rule of law does not retreat, does not yield to intimidation and does not compromise. It enforces the law, protects its institutions and places its trust in the judiciary.

“That is precisely what we have done.”