“We have 600-650,000 applications every year, 6,000 tax identification numbers were investigated in a targeted and selective manner,” emphasized the Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, regarding the OPEKEPE scandal and the ongoing police investigation on Parapolitika 90.1 radio show “Face-to-Face Microphones” with journalists Sotiris Xenakis and Vasilis Skouris. He added that the next step is “whether this fraud has an accomplice or accomplices, and the third step is investigating for a criminal organization.”
Speaking about the plague of traffic accidents, he mentioned the reduction shown in fatal accident indicators, saying that “by the end of the year all Greek motorcyclists will wear helmets,” which he emphasized strongly.
Regarding the Crete mafia case, Chrysochoidis said it “has scope and certainly this investigation will include others who will all pass through the investigator’s door. I don’t know if there will be more arrests, but there will certainly be dozens of charges from the investigative authority.”
Excerpts from Michalis Chrysochoidis’ interview on Parapolitika 90.1
Among other things, he noted:
Regarding the OPEKEPE scandal
CHRYSOCHOIDIS: The investigations are just beginning. There are approximately 6,000 tax IDs that were investigated, and they were investigated in a targeted and selective manner, meaning that the Economic Crime Unit officers are experienced and have worked on such cases before, so they knew roughly which tax IDs to approach for results. The investigation covers the years 2019-2024. We have approximately 600-650,000 applications per year, so it’s a lot of work – very detailed and serious work.
CHRYSOCHOIDIS: There’s a second step to all this – whether this fraud has accomplices, and the third step is investigating for a criminal organization. Whether three to five people conspired, formed a gang, financed some people, and created a major crime while taking a lot of money.
JOURNALIST: Speaking this way, you obviously have indications
CHRYSOCHOIDIS: Naturally, but the issue is whether we can very quickly have enough personnel – specialized officers and police – to investigate as many tax IDs as possible. This investigation concerns those who received more than 10,000 euros. Obviously there are some who received less than 10,000, but that’s not the current focus.
CHRYSOCHOIDIS: The sample is very small and targeted, meaning investigators somehow know from afar that this specific tax ID hides certain things. But when dealing with such a small sample, you understand we have a lot of work ahead and many findings. 6,000 applications were selected – those considered “suspicious” – and 15-16% of these applications showed this problem.
Asked whether the assets of these tax IDs found to be illegal have been frozen
CHRYSOCHOIDIS: The competent prosecutor for organized crime daily receives the investigation results conducted on his orders, which then becomes a criminal document, and the prosecutor restraints and confiscates accounts, properties, etc. It has begun.
Regarding traffic accidents
CHRYSOCHOIDIS: We have a significant reduction in fatal accidents. Let’s take at least some first steps to prevent further accidents and deaths with helmets, whose absence has been proven to create enormous problems. We’ve said that by year’s end all Greek motorcyclists will wear helmets. The Traffic Police has been set a goal that by year’s end all Greeks will wear helmets, and I’m confident we’ll achieve this.
Regarding the Crete “mafia”
CHRYSOCHOIDIS: It has scope and certainly this investigation will include others who will all pass through the investigator’s door. I don’t know if there will be more arrests, but there will certainly be dozens of charges from the investigative authority. The specific accused will appear, but so will about as many others connected to the case without being arrested at this stage – that will be the investigator’s and Justice’s job going forward. All this is unfortunately the result of a reality we’ve lived with in our country for many years, decades now, regarding impunity issues.
Asked whether he believes impunity exists because there are no laws or because penalties aren’t enforced
CHRYSOCHOIDIS: I believe it’s all of the above – from police tolerance to judicial tolerance and society’s tolerance. There’s also a broader social issue. My job as political head of the Police is to make our actions stricter and arrest all those criminal groups acting against society, and then Justice, now that laws have been tightened, must do its job too.
