Tax evasion of €206 million: Four former athletes among 1,283 accused
Three former footballers and one former international basketball player are included in the case file for a tax evasion network in the catering sector.
Four former athletes in case file for tax evasion network in Thessaloniki
Three former professional footballers and one former international basketball player are included in the list of 1,283 accused in a tax evasion case being investigated by the Special Economic Audit Unit (MEOEL) of Macedonia of the tax authority (AADE), according to Ta Nea. The voluminous case file was submitted on 7 November 2026 to the First Instance Prosecutor's Office in Thessaloniki.
These are Pantelis Kafé, Spyros Vallas and Petros Kanakoudis, as well as former international basketball player Panagiotis Liadellis. The case concerns four alleged interconnected networks in the catering sector. In total, 917 companies are under investigation, whilst the estimated damage to the State amounts to €206.26 million.
On page 16 of the referral document appears the name of Pantelis Kafé, who played for the Greek national team at Euro 2004. Along with him, his two brothers, D.K. and A.K., are included in the case file. D.K. is alleged to hold the role of de facto manager in the second network and is listed amongst the alleged leadership members. For D.K., a report has been filed for insurance contributions of €42,836.61, whilst for A.K. there are three reports totalling €104,602.68.
Spyros Vallas, a former central defender, appears on the same list. From the available information, his alleged role in the operation of the networks does not emerge. Also included in the list is Petros Kanakoudis, a former left-back who began his career from the academies and first team of PAOK, and subsequently played for Veroia, Asteras Tripolis, PAS Giannina, Heraklis, Apollon Smyrnis and Corfu. Kanakoudis and Vallas were teammates at Veroia during the 2005–2006 season — the same city from which the Kafé brothers originate.
Former international basketball player Panagiotis Liadellis appears on page 41 of the referral document. On page 101, his mother, P.L., is also listed as an accused. However, in the information provided there is no specific reference to the alleged role of the former athlete or his mother in the four networks.
The referral from MEOEL Macedonia includes a series of offences being investigated: criminal organisation, forgery, fraud, insurance contribution evasion, tax evasion, failure to pay debts to the State and money laundering from criminal activities. The inclusion of persons in the case file does not mean that all acts are personally attributed to them, nor does it prejudge their criminal responsibility; the individualisation of charges is a matter for the Justice system.
Two fugitives and report filed for leak
Within the framework of operation "Chaff People", two key persons continue to be sought by the Financial Transactions Audit Forces (DEOS) of the tax authority and the Hellenic Police. These are businesspeople active in the nighttime entertainment and catering sector, who are being investigated for non-payment of taxes and insurance contributions. The final phase of the operation unfolded in Thessaloniki from the evening of Thursday, 5 November 2026, under the coordination of prosecutorial authorities.
On Friday, 6 November 2026, whilst the operation was still ongoing, a specific website published in two successive articles information concerning the persons being sought — named by their initials — as well as officials of the tax authority who were coordinating the investigations on the ground. The tax authority estimates that this disclosure could have affected the smooth conduct of the operation and created dangers to the safety of service staff.
Immediately thereafter, tax authority director Giorgos Pitsilis contacted Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis, requesting the assistance of police authorities for locating the fugitives. At the same time, he informed the Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation and filed a report with the First Instance Prosecutor's Office in Athens against all those responsible, for potential breach of official secrecy, breach of secrecy of criminal proceedings and harbourment of a criminal.
In his statement, Pitsilis emphasised that recourse to the Justice system does not concern criticism of the tax authority or his person: "For almost eleven years as head of the Tax and Customs Administration of the country, I have never resorted to the Justice system against a journalist or media outlet, for any malicious or offensive criticism, whether directed at my person or at the work of the Authority."
Source: Ta Nea