'To Choriátiko' Network: Tax Official and EFKA Employee Bribery – 149 Defendants
Police bug recorded conversations about "little gifts" and "lipsticks" to public employees. The network operated 433 businesses across Attica, Mykonos, and Rhodes.
"Lipsticks" and "Little Gifts": What the Bug Revealed About the Bakery Network
Damage to the State in the tens of millions of euros, 149 defendants, and two public employees—one from the Tax Authority and one from EFKA—who served the organisation in exchange for gifts: these are the central findings of an investigation into a tax fraud and money-laundering network connected to the 57-year-old owner of the "To Choriátiko" bakery chain, as reported by Newsit.gr.
The Bug and Code Names
From conversations recorded by a bug installed by the Greek Police, it emerged that two members of the network had developed relationships with the two high-ranking officials, referring to the services provided as "little gifts". The two employees were coded in the conversations with names such as "godparents", "ours", "auntie", and "cousin".
Three days before a scheduled meeting with the Labour Inspectorate, members of the organisation discussed purchasing gifts, referring to them as "lipsticks".
Two Police Officers Under Investigation
The case file reportedly involves two police officers, whose identities remain unknown. The first is said to have met network members at a well-known strip club on Syngrou Avenue in order to inform them in advance of forthcoming raids on the organisation's premises. The second is said to have collected a sum of 1,500 euros. The investigation by the "Greek FBI" is ongoing.
433 Businesses and Shell Persons
The organisation operated a total of 433 businesses across Attica, Mykonos, Rhodes, and other areas, including beach bars on popular islands. Of these, 340 concerned bakeries, catering establishments, cafes, entertainment venues, and strip clubs.
The case file includes 149 persons. Of these, 13 are fictitious—"ghost persons"—while six had died before the investigation even began. Approximately 100 shell persons, predominantly from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and often facing health problems, were used to establish limited-liability companies. The 57-year-old paid them a salary of 1,000 euros, thereby concealing his actual status as owner.
The "Scheme" in Rhodes and Beach Bars
The network's activities were extensive in Rhodes, where according to the investigation, 28 beaches and beach bars were under its control. From 2018 onwards, businessmen connected to the organisation participated in tenders offering sums far exceeding the actual value of the rentals.
A characteristic example is a coastal area of 500 square metres in Kallithea, Rhodes, with an actual rent of approximately 25,000 euros: the organisation offered 200,000 euros, paid only the first instalment, and left two years' rent unpaid. When the municipality was in a position to initiate an eviction procedure, the money-laundering company would close, and a shell person with no personal assets would appear as the official owner, making it impossible to recover the debts.
Central Accounting Office in Athens
The operational centre of the organisation was located in offices in Athens, where an accounting department operated that handled the "regularisation" of the network's matters. At the same time, personnel placement companies were used to present fictitious employees in ghost companies, for the purpose of legitimising illegal proceeds.
Source: Newsit.gr