Tax fraud in Thessaloniki: 1,283 accused, 917 companies and damage of €206 million
Four networks of "straw men" with 18 arrests in Thessaloniki — estimated fraud of up to €206 million, according to Ethnos.
Four tax fraud networks in Thessaloniki — 1,283 accused and "straw men" who have died
Four distinct networks of "straw men" with 1,283 accused, 917 dummy companies and estimated tax fraud of between €203 and €206 million — these are the dimensions of the case revealed by Ethnos that is shaking the tax authority in Thessaloniki.
The investigation was conducted by a service of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AAΔE), with the participation of 60 inspectors and seven prosecutors. Of the 18 arrests made so far, two individuals were released.
The scope of the fraud
According to an AAΔE statement, the alleged damage amounts to €203 million — a figure that stands at €206 million based on case file data. Of the first amount, approximately €68 million concerns tax debts and €135 million contributions to EFKA.
The network comprises 917 companies, of which 860 show overdue debts. Among 80 recorded "straw men" are 12 deceased individuals — a fact raising questions about the use of tax identification numbers after death and possible weaknesses in notification procedures.
First network: accountant with 272 companies
The head of the first network appears to be a 55-year-old accountant with initials P.K. This network is connected to 393 companies and 39 "straw men". According to the case file, this individual had established 272 companies, managed Taxisnet codes and POS terminals, and "supplied" front persons to other accountants.
Second network: lawyer charging per "package"
In the second network, a central role is held by a 48-year-old lawyer with initials I.K., who is connected to 219 companies and 27 "straw men". He is alleged to have organised authorisations, bank access, SIM cards and POS terminals, charging €2,000 to €2,500 per "package". Nineteen allegedly forged certified documents were found in his office.
Third network: recruitment and cash payments
The third network is attributed to an accountant with initial A., connected to 56 companies and eight "straw men". The individual involved is alleged to have recruited persons, communicated directly with actual businesspeople and managed cash payments, whilst dispersing accounting work to third-party offices.
Fourth network: 4,036 Taxisnet codes in one office
The fourth network is examining two individuals and a 56-year-old accountant with an office in Ampelokipoi, Thessaloniki. There, 62 company stamps were found and a file containing 4,036 Taxisnet codes — a discovery highlighting the level of digital access that had been obtained to tax platforms.
Pathologies in company formation
The case reveals structural gaps in the process of establishing and supervising businesses. The ability to electronically establish a company in minimal time, without immediate verification of capital deposit, is said to have facilitated the creation of a network of small shell companies that were abandoned after use. Complete digitisation of procedures, moreover, was not accompanied by equivalent on-site inspection mechanisms, leaving gaps that were exploited by the networks.
Tax identification numbers of deceased persons under investigation
Particular concern is raised by the recording of 12 "straw men" who have died. The tax identification number is typically deactivated following death notification; however, it remains under investigation how and under what conditions the details of these individuals were used. This point is being examined in detail by the authorities, which do not rule out internal leaks or delays in updating registers.
Source: Ethnos