Rhodes scandal: Officials deny charges

A Rhodes Town Planning official accused in a corruption case cited economic uncertainty during Greece’s SYRIZA-led government in the previous decade, and capital controls that came with it, to justify the nearly half a million euros found hidden in pots, an extractor hood, and her children’s bedrooms.

“The potential euro exit and liquidity crisis led us to keep a significant amount of cash at home,” she stated in her deposition.

The official, who worked in the building permits department, insisted the money was legally earned and taxed. She denied involvement in illegal transactions, despite being recorded in numerous phone conversations with co-defendants.

The investigation revealed that officials accepted bribes to approve permits for hotel owners and major investors. Authorities discovered over €600,000 in cash, gold coins, and expensive watches during raids on the suspects’ homes and offices. 

Another accused, a construction inspector, denied taking bribes.

“No large sums, mobile phones, or documents related to my work were found in my home,” he wrote. 

A civil engineer also under investigation claimed police misinterpreted her conversations.

“The case against me is based on arbitrary conclusions, with officers adding their own speculative explanations,” she stated. She rejected the idea that the seven defendants operated as a criminal network, arguing that “each acted independently, with no organizational structure.” All defendants deny wrongdoing, and the investigation continues as authorities weigh whether pretrial detention is warranted.

Meanwhile, the president of the Supreme Court intervened on Tuesday, requesting a disciplinary review against the prosecutor and the investigating judge who ruled that there were no grounds for the pretrial detention of the seven defendants in the case.

Kathimerini