Tax evasion ring in Thessaloniki: Those arrested appear before the investigating magistrate – Well-known names on the list

 

The suspects arrested in the major tax and social security fraud case centered on restaurants and nightlife businesses in Thessaloniki are being brought before the investigating magistrate today, Tuesday, November 10. Meanwhile, two more people allegedly involved in the case are still being sought by the authorities.

According to the findings of the investigation, the criminal organization allegedly used fictitious managers, so-called “straw men,” to avoid paying taxes and social security contributions. The loss to the Greek state is estimated to exceed 206 million euros.

In parallel, the head of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), Giorgos Pitsilis, filed a criminal complaint against whoever may be responsible, asking for an investigation into the possibility that information about the operation was leaked while it was still under way.

One of the suspects, an accountant who remains in custody, was taken to a hospital in Thessaloniki yesterday, where he is being treated under guard.

According to his lawyer, speaking at the Courthouse, the defendant’s state of health is considered serious. “I was informed a few minutes ago that one of my three clients in custody was admitted to hospital yesterday and, unfortunately, his condition is not good,” he said.

According to the original schedule, this defendant was due to open the round of testimonies today.

How the network of companies operated

Important details about how the network operated emerged from the investigation by AADE auditors, who found digital files, email addresses and data that allegedly link hundreds of companies to one another.

Notably, many of the businesses did not change their appearance at all, not even in terms of equipment. They essentially remained the same, even though the company shown as running them kept changing.

In fact, a file titled with the name of a cartoon character was found on a computer, referring to a well-known venue in the Ladadika district of Thessaloniki.

The file contained a detailed record and inventory of the venue’s equipment. According to the AADE auditors, this was done so that the equipment could be transferred to the next company replacing the heavily indebted one, keeping the same venue with no visible changes.

In this way, according to the findings of the investigation, customers and visitors to the venue did not notice the change in the corporate structure.

The 161 tax numbers and the shared email addresses

A second digital file is also of particular interest, in which 161 tax identification numbers (AFM) were found together with contact phone numbers.

The auditors tried to cross-check who these numbers belonged to and found that they did not correspond to the tax numbers linked to the respective companies. Instead, the phones were answered by the actual owners and managers of the venues.

The discovery of shared email addresses also reportedly played a decisive role in the investigation. At least 250 companies involved in the case used either the same email address or variations of it, at least for their communication with the Greek state.

That is essentially one in every four companies in the case, a finding that helped the auditors connect the pieces of the investigation.

Well-known figures on the list of 1,280 people involved

Meanwhile, the long list of about 1,280 people allegedly involved in the case includes well-known names from the world of sports and public life.

According to the information available, the list includes three retired footballers and a veteran basketball player.

It has also emerged that a well-known TV presenter and businessman, prominent on television and in Thessaloniki’s business circles, is allegedly involved in the case.

The list also includes a Greek basketball referee who has officiated at high-level games, even in the EuroLeague.

A well-known local government figure from western Thessaloniki is also reportedly among those at the center of the investigation.

The investigations are continuing, with the AADE’s findings shedding light on how the network of companies allegedly operated and on the links between the people included on the case’s long list.