A criminal organization, whose members operated methodically and organized in a region of Western Greece, with the aim of deceiving the health committees of the Disability Certification Center (KEPA) for the granting of disability benefits to non -beneficiaries, deducting illegal amounts of money and causing a significant loss of money.

7 arrests – between them and the leader

In the case, seven members of the criminal organization were arrested on Thursday, June 12, 2025, including the leader. It is about two individuals; Two employees of the Local Electronic National Social Security Directorate; physician and two nurses.

They were filed against them – on a case -by -case basis – for fraud against the Greek State committed and in attempted, continued and professional, employee bribery for actions or omissions that are contrary to his duties, complicity in the above act, Drugs law.

Case file against another 34 people

In addition, the case is accused of bribery of officials and fraud against the Greek State still -34 people, of which -28- have been identified.

How did they act

In particular, as it emerged from the investigation of a relevant complaint, the defendants, at least since December 2024, have set up a criminal organization with constant action and specific structure, as well as distinct roles, so that, taking advantage of their position by presenting false evidence, making decisions to grant any time.

More specifically, the members of the organization, knowing the official process and the legislative framework, intervened in the physical examination of their “customers”, altering their image, guiding the examiners or their relatives themselves.

To do this, they used medicinal – sedative formulations (to put in a state of repression during the examination), wheelchairs, bedtime patches, auxiliary supports, incontinence diapers, special layers and pharmaceuticals for the appearance of aberrations.

The recruitment, the couple and the “clientele”

The criminal organization also included a subgroup with a separate operational operation, which consisted of two detainees with a relative. The woman undertook the identification and recruitment of new “customers”, which she was leaving for the process of submitting applications and preparation for the KEPA committees, before referring to her husband, an employee with a critical role in the committees.

The couple operated almost autonomously, gaining the same economic benefit, with a characteristic pursuit of the woman to become the exclusive “clientele” provider, while not hesitating to promise a percentage of money to third parties to secure new candidates, with the aim of maximizing their illegal profits.

The roles

As part of the action of the criminal organization, each member had a specific role as follows:

  • The 58 -year -old leader had the central coordination of the organization at all stages of action. It was locating the prospective “customers”, provided instructions for altering their clinical picture, organized links with other members (employees, physicians, nurses), determined the amounts that would require and managed the distribution of profits. He had total control, maintaining deliberately waterproof members, and used phones with false information (“Ghost Phones”) for operational coverage and made deals through third parties.
  • A 65 -year -old, who was in charge of the secretary of the KEPA Committees, was the key mechanism of intervention in the examination procedures. Taking advantage of his position and his acquaintances with members of the committees, he mediated the issuance of positive opinions, even in cases where he did not participate in the Commission. It operated on the basis of the leader’s instructions, and was actively involved in receiving money, mainly in a private space.
  • 48 -year -old, who held a place in the Pension Department, served as a crucial hub of financial information for “customers”, thus defining the amount of illegal fee. He also had active participation in bureaucratic procedures (applications, objections, modifications), and she also mediated in KEPA committees. on behalf of the organization.
  • A 65 -year -old, private and wife of the 65 -year -old, was locating people who wanted to secure a allowance, guided them, prepared the envelopes and promoted them to her husband for mediation. For her “services” she received a percentage of the amounts paid, while seeking exclusivity in providing “customers” to increase her personal revenue.
  • A 55 -year -old physician provided false medical opinions, sometimes electromyographies, to enhance the supposed clinical picture of paraplegia of the examiners. The certificates provided were incorporated into the rapporteur files submitted to the KEPA Committees. And he was paid by the “customers” after consultation with the leader.
  • A 56 -year -old and 53 -year -old, nurses in a public hospital, played a supportive but essential role in the criminal organization, acting as operational executive members. At the command of the Chief, they undertook the preparation of the “customers” to create the false image of a serious disability or complete weakness of self -service. They appeared as companions or relatives of the examiners, and took actions such as the administration of repressive drugs, the use of patches and nursing materials, or the adjustment of equipment (trolleys, incontinence diapers, betadine, etc.) to enhance the false image or delusion. For their participation they received a remuneration directly from the leader.

The coded words

For their communication, the members of the criminal organization used fake telephone connections (“Ghost Phones”) as well as coded words and phrases to avoid detecting illegal action by the law enforcement authorities.

Indicatively, the word “coffee” was used as a substitute for the reporting of money relating to either the remuneration of the members or the amount required by the “customer”. In other cases, instead of accurate names or identity elements, initial, unclear descriptions or numbers were used, while clear references to allowance, committee or official procedures were avoided.

The survey found that the organization proceeded, at least:

  • -13- Publications of irregular decisions with retroactive -173.873-euro and
  • -15- irregular decisions to grant out-of-institutional monthly benefits -846- or -795-euro lifetime, with- where appropriate- commencement of payment in the years 2023, 2024 and 2025.

The damage

Estimated damage to the Greek State is to -121.824 -euro per year from 2025, -20,304 euros per year from 2024 and -9,540 -euro per year from 2023.

It is mentioned that the monthly allowance is obtained by the beneficiary as long as it is alive, that is, the upcoming damage to the Greek State amounts to -10.152 -euro per year for each beneficiary, while all payments could not be fully recorded due to limited access to the payment files of other insurance funds.

What was found in investigations

During the business, held in houses and workplaces, they were found and seized, in total:

  • -63.615-euro,
  • numerous documents with handwritten notes,
  • Pharmaceutical formulations (non -medical prescription tablets),
  • Patient Nursing Types of Nursing (gauze, patches, etc.),
  • mobile phones,
  • a computer and
  • Handwritten notes.

The detainees are taken to the competent prosecutor’s office, while investigations are continuing to determine the full range of the criminal organization’s illegal activities.