The Internal Affairs Service of the Security Forces arrested in the afternoon-evening hours of Thursday, February 29, 2024, in an area of ​​western Greece, a doctor, a foreigner and two medical visitors from a pharmaceutical company, as – as the case may be – they are involved in a case of issuing – granting false medical certificates to foreigners and prescribing medicines of specific companies, for a fee.

A case was filed against them for – as the case may be – bribery of an employee by continuance and by profession, perjury and forgery by continuance, breach of duty by continuance, complicity in bribery of an employee, bribery of an employee by complicity and for violation of the Firearms Act and the Immigration Code.

There was a previous complaint, according to which the doctor systematically issued false medical certificates to foreigners, for a fee or other unfair advantage, in order for them to ensure legal stay in our country, while for this purpose he cooperated with a foreigner, in to which the interested parties addressed for the receipt of the relevant certificates.

From the research carried out, through the application of special investigative techniques, as well as the collection and correlation of the resulting data, the illegal activity of the doctor was determined.

In particular, it emerged that, for a fee, he granted medical certificates to foreigners from third countries for their alleged previous examination, in order to use them as a justification for the issuance of a residence permit. Alongside, received sums of money or other unfair benefits to prescribe medication formulations of specific companies.

In this way, the medical visitors in turn obtained a percentage of profit from the sales of the companies’ drugs, burdening the National Organization for the Provision of Health Services (E.O.P.Y.Y.) and damaging the Greek State.

As part of the operation that took place at the doctor’s workplace, the two medical visitors were arrested at the time they were to hand the doctor a sum of money for the over-prescription of their company’s pharmaceuticals.

At the same time, passports of third parties were found in the foreigner’s house, which he possessed illegally, as well as medical certificates in the name of foreigners, which had been issued by the doctor.

In total, from the physical and house searches, the following were found and seized:

3,870 euros,
4 passports of third parties,
2 medical certificates,
1 crossbow and
multitude of white, obviously used, envelopes.
At the same time, it was found that travel agencies had a credit of 8,200 euros from various pharmaceutical companies in the name of the doctor, which he had spent on travel.

According to E.O.P.Y.Y. the doctor, during the last year, had increased the prescription of pharmaceutical company preparations by 60%, having the highest rates of prescription of uninsured patients in the county where he was active.

Finally, from the investigations so far, it has been verified that at least -8- false medical certificates were issued to foreigners.

Those arrested will be brought before the competent Prosecutor.