The Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Vassilis Oikonomou announced today, Monday, that he is terminating his cooperation with the director of his political office, Dimitris Karras, after it was reported that he was involved in the case of trafficking 50 women from Colombia.

In his post on X, Mr. Economou himself states:

“After the publications that came to my attention, my office and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport immediately ceases cooperation with Mr. Dimitris Karras”

According to information, Mr. Economou claims that he doesn’t want there to be any shadow in his work that’s why he decided to stop working with Mr. Karras.

What does the article say?

According to the publication of the website Omnia.tv, the director of the political office of Vassilis Oikonomou, Dimitris Karras, was involved in two of the three companies with which the ring laundered its proceeds from the trafficking of women.

In the first case, the company that the two main defendants had set up for the case in 2020, seems to be based at the address of the store of Dimitrios Karras, while in the second case, he is presented as the manager of a store of the two defendants.

The trafficking ring was dismantled in June 2023, in a police operation codenamed “Amaryllis”. Police rescued a total of 50 women from Colombia who were being exploited and abused by members of the ring.

As it turned out, the members of the ring promised their victims that they would stay in Greece for three months and make significant sums of money. The reality, however, was far away as when they landed in the country, they were taken to apartments in Athens and forced to surrender for little money, telling them that they owed them for the trip. According to the information from ELAS, they were victims of threats and humiliation even when they were sick and were “cut” with fines of 100 euros.

The masterminds of the ring laundered their profits in purchases of new brothels, while they had also set up a brokerage business to cover their tracks. The profits they made from their activity exceeded 160,000 euros per month, of which 130,000 euros came from the brothels

The answer of Dimitris Karras

On his part, Dimitris Karras he speaks of “slurs” and “slanders” and notes that he has appealed to Justice.

In his post he states:

“Beware of mudslingers and slanderers. I was not and have never been accused in my life of any crime, I have never been questioned but I have never even been called as a witness in any criminal case whatsoever. Those who traffic in such scenarios will surely be held accountable in the Court where I have already appealed.

Only Justice is responsible for punishing those who spread highly defamatory and insulting claims about me. I have never hid in my life because clear sky, lightning is not afraid”.