Chalkidiki Urban Planning Mafia Uncovered, Arrests Made

The news in Greek

1. διερευνώ
   εξετάζω κάτι προσεκτικά για να ανακαλύψω πληροφορίες. ↩︎
2. δίκτυο (n.)
   σύνολο συνδεδεμένων ατόμων ή πραγμάτων που συνεργάζονται. ↩︎
3. εμπλέκομαι
   συμμετέχω ή έχω σχέση με κάτι. ↩︎
4. παράνομος
   κάτι που δεν είναι σύμφωνο με τον νόμο. ↩︎
5. ανακριτής (m.)
   δικαστικός λειτουργός που διερευνά εγκλήματα. ↩︎
6. ξέπλυμα (n.)
   πράξη του καθαρισμού βρώμικου χρήματος για εμφάνιση νόμιμου. ↩︎

Translation

Text Comprehension

Question: Who are involved in the criminal network in Chalkidiki?

Question: How many people were arrested in the investigation?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
διερευνώ	investigate
δίκτυο (n.)	network
εμπλέκομαι	involve
παράνομος	illegal
ανακριτής (m.)	magistrate
ξέπλυμα (n.)	money laundering

Read the full story

Revelatory footage released by local media captures the audacious nature of these activities. One of the key clips shows a planning officer meeting an engineer in a dining establishment in Thessaloniki, discreetly exchanging a folder that presumably contained bribe money. These interactions typically took place in busy locations, highlighting the group’s apparent confidence in their operations.

The ongoing judicial process has so far seen the release of several individuals who were initially detained. Out of the 21 people arrested, 12 have appeared before the magistrate in Polygyros. These include private individuals, with most being architects, civil engineers, and surveyors. Despite their release, restrictions have been imposed, including mandatory police check-ins and travel bans, and some were required to post substantial bail sums, ranging from €5,000 to €60,000. The former mayor, who is a civil engineer, and a relative of a primary suspect were amongst those with the highest bail amounts.

Photos accompanying these revelations depict members of the network exchanging money both in cafes and within banking institutions, further illustrating the widespread nature of these unlawful activities. As the interrogations continue, the other nine arrested individuals are expected to appear, including four municipal building department employees from Sithonia and Nea Propontida, as well as two members of the Architectural Council of the Regional Unit of Chalkidiki.

Charges against the accused vary but prominently feature leading or participating in a criminal organisation, bribery and corruption, contributing to such activities, and money laundering. Despite the substantial evidence, all the accused steadfastly deny any wrongdoing, with some claiming they had no choice but to participate to maintain their professional practices.

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