Sixteen members of the non-profit organization ERCI who volunteered during the peak of the refugee and migrant crisis on the island of Lesvos in 2018, on Tuesday found not guilty of espionage court of appeal for petty offenses North Aegean Sea.
Let us recall the background: in 2018, Greek intelligence services arrested the head of ERCI, Panos Moraitis, who, along with 30 other members of the organization, was accused of serious crimes related to the smuggling of migrants from Turkey, the production of false documents and espionage.
16 people were accused of creating a criminal organization, espionage and collaboration with smugglers from Turkey in Greece. During the consideration of the case, the charges were changed for espionage at the misdemeanor level. The charge of creating a criminal organization will be tried in criminal court.
According to the Misdemeanor Court of Appeal in Mytilene, there were no facts in their testimony to support the charge of espionage, and the prosecutor agreed with this (and where did the evidence of the border guards and ΕΥΠ?).
Former ERCI operations manager Nassos Karakitsos, who was in custody for almost 3.5 months before being released on bail, commented on Tuesday’s court decision: “We are innocent, like the thousands of volunteers who have crossed the islands saving lives.”
Cool turnaround
Let us recall the background: in 2018, Greek intelligence services arrested the head of ERCI, Panos Moraitis, who, along with 30 other members of the organization, was accused of serious crimes related to the smuggling of migrants from Turkey, the production of false documents and espionage.
Among those arrested was a famous Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardiniparticipant Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiroand a 23-year-old Syrian refugee student and recipient of a scholarship from Bard College in Berlin.
Police believe the alleged criminal organization “provided direct assistance to organized crime organizations involved in human trafficking.” This is the name in Greece for organizing the transportation of refugees to EU countries. In addition, NGO employees are accused of espionage, using military symbols of the Greek armed forces and much more.
DW conducted its own investigation, pointing out the connection between ERCI and ISIS
According to authors of the publicationa non-governmental organization ERCI, which began operating in Greece since 2015, illegally brought about 70,000 illegal immigrants into the countryand was also involved in the integration of newly arrived persons, receiving funding in the amount of 5000 euros per person per year from various programs (tuition, accommodation, meals), receiving a total of 500 million euros per year.
With such serious charges, the management and staff of the NGO should have been polishing their asses in a maximum security prison at least several years ago. But it was not there…
Who is the head of ERCI, Panos Moraitis, and why was the case completely leaked, reclassifying a serious criminal offense into a banal administrative violation? Who is this little-known NGO leader, little known to the general public, but well known in the port and among the NATO military?
The life path of this person is quite interesting. Despite the fact that until recently he was wanted by Interpol, in the past he enjoyed the respect of important and famous people. It is significant that in 2016, the American Embassy and the US Coast Guard presented Moraitis with an award for his initiative to create an organization within the NGO ERCI (Emergency Rescue Center International), which became a “vehicle” for human traffickers.
“Shield” of mercenaries
Interestingly, in addition to the NGO ERCI, Mr. Moraitis also appears as the head of Aspida. It is an armed mercenary company that escorts ships in Somalia, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and elsewhere, providing protection against pirates. That is, the head of ERCI has an NGO that, in addition to transporting and facilitating the transfer of refugees or immigrants to the Greek islands and their integration into Greek society, also has its own army of mercenaries.
It is noteworthy that this NGO had cover at the very top of the United States. In particular, one of the founders of this company was Radcliffe Foundation, financed by a Mexican billionaire Frank Giustrawhich is closely related to Clinton Foundation and it is quite possible that the investigation of the Greek police was initiated by the FBI, which closely involved in the work of this foundation.
The Greek police also accuse members of the NGO of having radio scanners at their disposal, with which they listened to the airwaves in order to determine the location of coast guard vessels and reported this data to carriers from Turkey, for the unhindered movement of migrants to the coast of the Greek islands. Also used during the surveillance were binoculars and monoculars, which were seized by the police during the search.
The organization was also active on social networks such as Facebook, where groups were created through which instructions and techniques for crossing the border, bypassing border and coast guard boats and Frontex vessels were transmitted.
Earlier this year in February, two NGO members were taken into custody after they were accused of “espionage and violating state secrets” by illegally using official rescue frequencies at sea. The pair were arrested in a van with fake military license plates. It is noteworthy that then they were simply released, the journalists of the Greek publication efsyn.gr Readers are asked in bewilderment, is this also possible? Considering the kind of friends Mr. Moraitis has, this is not surprising.
The author of this publication back in 2018, at the time of publication, had certain doubts that Panos Moraitis would go to prison, suggesting that most likely the case would be hushed up at the request of high-ranking patrons and friends from the United States. This is essentially what happened.
500 million euros is decent money, and if your friends are such well-known and respected “democrats” as the Clintons, you will never face prison.
Among those arrested was a famous Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardiniparticipant Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiroand a 23-year-old Syrian refugee student and recipient of a scholarship from Bard College in Berlin.
Police believe the alleged criminal organization “provided direct assistance to organized crime organizations involved in human trafficking.” This is the name in Greece for organizing the transportation of refugees to EU countries. In addition, NGO employees are accused of espionage, using military symbols of the Greek armed forces and much more.
DW conducted its own investigation, pointing out the connection between ERCI and ISIS
According to authors of the publicationa non-governmental organization ERCI, which began operating in Greece since 2015, illegally brought about 70,000 illegal immigrants into the countryand was also involved in the integration of newly arrived persons, receiving funding in the amount of 5000 euros per person per year from various programs (tuition, accommodation, meals), receiving a total of 500 million euros per year.
With such serious charges, the management and staff of the NGO should have been polishing their asses in a maximum security prison at least several years ago. But it was not there…
Who is the head of ERCI, Panos Moraitis, and why was the case completely leaked, reclassifying a serious criminal offense into a banal administrative violation? Who is this little-known NGO leader, little known to the general public, but well known in the port and among the NATO military?
The life path of this person is quite interesting. Despite the fact that until recently he was wanted by Interpol, in the past he enjoyed the respect of important and famous people. It is significant that in 2016, the American Embassy and the US Coast Guard presented Moraitis with an award for his initiative to create an organization within the NGO ERCI (Emergency Rescue Center International), which became a “vehicle” for human traffickers.
“Shield” of mercenaries
Interestingly, in addition to the NGO ERCI, Mr. Moraitis also appears as the head of Aspida. It is an armed mercenary company that escorts ships in Somalia, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and elsewhere, providing protection against pirates. That is, the head of ERCI has an NGO that, in addition to transporting and facilitating the transfer of refugees or immigrants to the Greek islands and their integration into Greek society, also has its own army of mercenaries.
It is noteworthy that this NGO had cover at the very top of the United States. In particular, one of the founders of this company was Radcliffe Foundation, financed by a Mexican billionaire Frank Giustrawhich is closely related to Clinton Foundation and it is quite possible that the investigation of the Greek police was initiated by the FBI, which closely involved in the work of this foundation.
The Greek police also accuse members of the NGO of having radio scanners at their disposal, with which they listened to the airwaves in order to determine the location of coast guard vessels and reported this data to carriers from Turkey, for the unhindered movement of migrants to the coast of the Greek islands. Also used during the surveillance were binoculars and monoculars, which were seized by the police during the search.
The organization was also active on social networks such as Facebook, where groups were created through which instructions and techniques for crossing the border, bypassing border and coast guard boats and Frontex vessels were transmitted.
Earlier this year in February, two NGO members were taken into custody after they were accused of “espionage and violating state secrets” by illegally using official rescue frequencies at sea. The pair were arrested in a van with fake military license plates. It is noteworthy that then they were simply released, the journalists of the Greek publication efsyn.gr Readers are asked in bewilderment, is this also possible? Considering the kind of friends Mr. Moraitis has, this is not surprising.
The author of this publication back in 2018, at the time of publication, had certain doubts that Panos Moraitis would go to prison, suggesting that most likely the case would be hushed up at the request of high-ranking patrons and friends from the United States. This is essentially what happened.
500 million euros is decent money, and if your friends are such well-known and respected “democrats” as the Clintons, you will never face prison.
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