Felony prosecution was brought against the 21 arrested for participation in circuit with a focus on Urban Planning of the municipalities of Sithonia and N. Propontidas, in Halkidiki.

The public prosecutor of Polygyros charged them with – as the case may be – the acts of directing and participating in a criminal organization, bribery, direct cooperation in bribery, money laundering and gangs.

They were referred to apologize to interrogator of Polygyros and until then they remain in custody.

According to an announcement by the Hellenic Republic of Greece, four employees of the Directorate and the Construction Service, two members of the Architectural Regional Unity Council and 15 private individuals, the majority of whom have related professional activity, such as architects, engineers, civil engineers and surveyors, were arrested for the case. Among the latter is a former mayor. During the investigations, an amount of more than 1 million euros was confiscated.

The financial benefits seem to exceed 210,000 euros and were delivered in envelopes, while except for the 21 arrestedthe case file includes an additional 86 people, who appear to have occasionally aided or benefited from the ring’s activity as “clients” or even committed other criminal acts. According to information, the investigation identified that more than 90 cases of issuing illegal construction works and permits were settled – with compensation.

According to the data contained in the case file from the telephone monitoring of the members of the ring, in their conversations they used coded phrases in order not to be perceived. For example, the words “drawings”, “eggs”, “geese”, “paper” and “acres” meant the money they received, while “fingers” specified the amount of money.