Police arrested seven tax officials, including the director and deputy director of the Chalkis branch, for creating a criminal organization that extorted money from local businessmen.
Police handcuffed the director, deputy director and five employees after an inspection carried out by a group of internal affairs officers following complaints from residents of Chalkis on the island of Evia. Documents and computers have been seized and are currently being examined. Six more people are involved in the case, including two private accountants.
According to the results of the investigation, 17 cases of extortion have now been identified, as a result of which the criminal organization received illegal benefits in the amount of 95,600 euros over three months. The charges include bribery of an employee by profession, breach of duty, extortion and attempted extortion by profession, and possession of a weapon.
Video: Those arrested were brought to court on Wednesday afternoon.
A complaint was filed against two employees who, taking advantage of their position, demanded and received sums of money in exchange for not blocking the procedures for returning funds to beneficiaries. Members of the organization facilitated, omitted or carried out fiscal procedures contrary to their official duties, and also blackmailed entrepreneurs using their positions, demanding sums of money as rewards to process their unpaid taxes.
The organization has been operating since November 2023. After a lengthy secret investigation, authorities arrested yesterday, Tuesday, a businessman who had just paid the director 10,000 euros, the amount with which she blackmailed him to prevent tax control. In her office, police found the amount paid, as well as €40,000 in cash at her home. Among other things, the following items were discovered and confiscated (see photo above):
- money totaling 78,795 euros,
- 10 mobile phones,
- 4 notebooks with handwritten notes,
- several photocopies of tax files
- a double-barreled shotgun for which there was no permit.
Those arrested will be delivered to the competent prosecutor's office.
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