Extortion ring: Two of eight accused in jail

Two of the eight defendants allegedly involved in an extortion ring at health care shops in the center of Athens are being sent to prison after confessing.

The remaining six were released under conditions barring them from leaving the country and reporting to the police.

The rest of the accused will be produced before the corruption investigation officer on Thursday, July 11

A total of 14 mouths have been arrested as members of the ring. They are expected to appear before the corruption investigation officer on Thursday (11/07).

A serious charge

Seven felonies and two misdemeanors were added to the serious charges those arrested face for participating in a criminal organization that extorted shoppers in the center of Athens.

Specifically, among others, they are accused of: operating, creating and joining a criminal organization, threatening and damaging a profession by profession, bribery of an employee by profession and false certification over 120,000 euros.

After the complaint, Internal Affairs Service officials who conducted an investigation found that since at least January 2023, employees had been threatening the owners of catering establishments in the center of Athens to pay and avoid certification of violations. Municipal Police.

Mafia organization

These revelations are reminiscent of how the circuit operated, adopting a mafia structure and function. They recorded all the amounts they were going to collect from the extortion. Dates from stocks and their percentages.

An architect who worked in the service of new monuments played a decisive role since the licensing of hotels. His “fee” appears to have been between 6,000 and 10,000 euros.

The activity of the Circle of Employees of the Athens Municipality of the Ministry of Culture of the Attica Region is not limited to the capital. As it turns out, they spread to the suburbs and even to Mykonos.