Nancy and the “Expansion” Plans in Mykonos

Everything had to be done quickly, before the tailor himself arrived on the island to open the shop. But there was a problem. Traces were found on the premises and work had to be stopped. The fence the crew had put up on the front face did not ultimately provide the required coverage. Their behavior was noticed, they were reported, and there was a risk that their file would be blocked. The architect in charge called Nancy, who was allegedly the head of a group of sworn civil servants. This seemed like another case of their actions. After the center of Athens they would try to spread their tentacles into the alleys of Mykonos.

According to the case file filed by the police internal affairs department, Nancy, 43, began dealing with the Mykonos clothing store last April, when she asked a senior employee in the Culture Ministry’s new Antiquities Protection Department for help to sort out the matter. The employee appeared willing to defend the store’s operation to the relevant local council. He claimed, according to the case file, that the scientists had “gouged out their eyes” because they chose to display the antiquities rather than confiscate them.

However, the store managers could not wait. As stated in the case file, they would continue with small-scale business, without compromising on appearance. They had assigned a private security company employee to monitor the area 24 hours a day, while they considered the police to be “theirs.” They reported that there was a new policeman on the island, a “talker,” who would inform them if an inspection was carried out.

The expansion of the circle of elected civil servants in Mykonos is only one aspect of the illegal activities that have taken root there in recent years. As evidenced by a series of open court cases, and by unsolved cases of beatings, extortion and murder, the island of the winds has attracted, in addition to the tourist flow, corrupt officials, paribou linked to the so-called Greek mafia, but also businessmen who invest in illegal construction.

Furthermore, a recent order by the Supreme Court Prosecutor, Georgia Adelini, calls for an investigation into the actions of the local mafia in Mykonos regarding the purchase and sale of real estate, construction works, providing “protection” to companies and other illegal actions.

The new clothing store, the found antiquities, and a phone call to an employee of the new Antiquities Protection Department to “settle” the matter.

Based on data collected by police authorities, it appears that warring groups are active on the island, trying to dominate the restaurant and entertainment sectors and the real estate sector. According to police sources, anyone who “works or breaks a job” can be targeted.

The 44-year-old paripoinite, the alleged natural perpetrator of the murder of surveyor engineer Panagiotis Stathis, was remanded in custody after apologizing. He allegedly traveled to Mykonos at least twice in the previous months with his partner and, among other things, also met a person active in the sale and purchase of real estate. Based on testimonies from people in the victim’s environment, Stathis allegedly did not have good relations with this businessman and considered him responsible for the beatings he had received in the past from an unknown person in Chalandri.

Nikos Altras, the lawyer for the 44-year-old accused, said that his manager was arrested based on the evidence and that he denies his involvement in the case. At the same time, he insists that he had no activity in Mykonos and questions how his name is linked to the island.

Last summer, Mykonos was back in the spotlight again, after archaeologist Manolis Psarou was beaten up and the island was subjected to subsequent controls over planning violations. The head of the Aegean Appeals Prosecutor’s Office, Odysseas Tsourbatzoglou, led the raids carried out to deal with the violations. But according to K’s information, a different situation is emerging this year. Due to insufficient staff, the prosecutor will not be able to go to the island to carry out a similar project. Last month, three inspectors from the National Transparency Authority went to Mykonos to check the city’s planning, specifically the section dealing with arbitrariness. The service marks a year since its return to Mykonos, since the specific project has been dedicated to urban planning on the island of Syros for the past five years.

According to K’s information, the National Transparency Authority was mobilized after complaints and reports were received about arbitrary supervision. There was talk of a shortage of staff in the department, and there were reports of dysfunction, lack of knowledge and experience in this matter, and inability to deal with the cases received. The inspectors spent four days on the island, evaluating the evidence they have collected so far to reach their final conclusion.