A professor, an accountant and illegal remittances are in the SDOE nets

An accountant who embezzled 16 million euros from companies he represented, a professor who extorted 15 million euros for alleged investments abroad by a number of citizens and illegal remittances abroad amounting to 20 million euros were located, among others, by the Financial Crime Prosecution Corps.

According to SDOE data, the professor of the University of Athens, taking advantage of the prestige of his institutional capacity, deceived a large number of people, extorting large sums of money in order to invest them, through his companies, abroad. The tactic he followed was to initially return small amounts as a return on their investment, but eventually ended up embezzling amounts totaling more than 15,000,000 euros.

The accountant of Athens, however, managed in a period of 5 years to extract from foreign companies in which he was a tax representative, amounts totaling over 16,000,000 euros. The above amounts, in their vast majority, were transferred from a specific Bank branch, to his personal accounts and from there to betting companies and casinos. It is pointed out that both the said Bank and the institutions that provide gambling and casino services and were involved in the above process, had the obligation to report suspicious transactions to the Anti-Money Laundering Authority.

However, the SDOE inspections revealed other seabass. Specifically, in the context of the execution of the Prosecutorial Order that was completed in 2021, a number of cases of foreign individuals were identified, who were sending remittances abroad, through Payment Institutions, during the period 2012-2016. In particular, foreigners transferred money abroad through Payment Institutions, without further control over the origin of their funds, taking advantage of the legal framework for the operation of these institutions. It was found that the highest amounts per year were sent to Albania, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, China, Georgia, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania, Russia and Ukraine. The audit focused on identifying the source of the outgoing remittances and whether they have been taxed or legally exempt from tax. Natural persons were identified who could not justify the possession of the money and who sent remittances abroad totaling more than 20,000,000 euros.

The most important cases of audits during the last three months and their results:

A. SUBSIDIES – GRANTS AUDITS

1st In the context of audits carried out by the Business Directorate of S.D.O.E. Attica regarding the observance of compliance with the terms of the development law 3299/2004, a large industrial unit in an area of ​​Western Greece was inspected, where unreal (fictitious) transactions of high value were identified, through which the audited company abusively received a grant of more than 13,000. .000 euros. Also, for the same reason, four hotel units were inspected throughout the Territory, where violations of abusive receipt of grants with a total value of over 100,000 euros were detected. For all the above cases, the competent authorities have been informed, in order to return to the State the illegally received amounts of grants.

2nd During the inspection of the subsidy file of the Agricultural Cooperative, it was found that the conditions for inclusion of the investment in a subsidy were not observed, but also serious omissions in the observance of the required documentation documentation of the investment. The competent authority for the recovery of the grant totaling 588,000 euros was informed.

B. FUEL SMUGGLING CHECKS

Carrying out an audit at two petrol stations and after processing the data obtained both at the on-site inspection and from the data extracted from the database of the input-output system of the GIS, violations of fuel smuggling totaling 4,993,054 euros were found, but and tax violations totaling 76,672 euros.

C. TRANSACTION FICTITY CHECKS

1st Carrying out audits in e-shops, which are mainly active in the purchase and sale of mobile phones and computers, a business network was identified, which operated methodically and over time in the form of a carousel, establishing legal entities whose managers and legal representatives were natural persons. extremely difficult to locate, which bore the characteristics of the “missing trader”. From the action of the above circuit and the issuance of fictitious data, there was a loss for the Greek State, regarding the years 2018 and 2019, of a total amount of over 8,500,000 euros only from non-payment of VAT, while it is estimated that the total loss for the Greek State exceeds 15,000,000 euros.

2nd In audits of companies active in the wholesale sale of pharmaceutical products throughout the country, violations of issuing and receiving fictitious tax data were found as follows:

a. Receipt of fictitious tax data from a company in Giannitsa, worth 11,096,699 euros, plus VAT. 705,088.16 euros.

b. Receipt of fictitious tax data from a company in Xanthi, worth 1,064,360 euros, plus VAT. 63,861.53 euros.

c. Issuance of fictitious tax data from a company in Athens, worth 70,668.24 euros, plus VAT. 4,519.68 euros.

All the above cases were forwarded to the competent services of AADE for the imposition of the provided fines, while a relevant report was forwarded to the Athens Prosecutor’s Office.

3rd In the context of the execution of a Prosecutorial Order, an audit was carried out at an Urban Holiday Cooperative in the Regional Unit of Evia, which for more than 20 years received membership fees in order to build infrastructure projects. In particular, during the years 2006-2011, he received fictitious and forged tax documents with a total value of approximately 5,000,000 euros, without having proceeded with the construction of any infrastructure project for the Cooperative to fulfill its purpose.

D. CHECKS OF ILLEGAL TRANSFER OF CAPITAL ABROAD

In the context of the execution of the Prosecutorial Order that was completed in 2021, a number of cases of foreign individuals were identified, who were sending remittances abroad, through Payment Institutions, during the period 2012-2016.

In particular, foreigners transferred money abroad through Payment Institutions, without further control over the origin of their funds, taking advantage of the legal framework for the operation of these institutions.

It was found that the highest amounts per year were sent to Albania, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, China, Georgia, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Romania, Russia and Ukraine.

The audit focused on identifying the source of the outgoing remittances and whether they have been taxed or legally exempt from tax. Natural persons were identified who could not justify the possession of the money and who sent remittances abroad totaling more than 20,000,000 euros.

E. IMMEDIATE PRODUCT TRAFFIC CONTROLS

In an inspection carried out at a courier company in Athens, large quantities of counterfeit products were found and confiscated. During the investigation that followed, it was found that the distribution of the products was carried out with tax data issued by a non-existent – fictitious legal entity, while it turned out that the courier company of the above transactions was the undercover person. Tax evasion of the undercover company was found, with a total value of 292,969 euros, while a relevant report was forwarded to the Athens Prosecutor’s Office and the competent Tax Office was informed. for the imposition of tax fines.

F. OTHER CHECKS FOR FRAUD

1st A case of fraud was detected by a person beyond suspicion and specifically by a professor at a University in Athens, who, taking advantage of the prestige of his institutional capacity, deceived many people, extorting large sums of money in order to invest them, through his companies, abroad. The tactic he followed was to initially return small amounts as a return on their investment, but eventually ended up embezzling amounts totaling more than 15,000,000 euros.

2nd A case of an accountant was found in Athens, who in a period of 5 years extracted from foreign companies in which he was a tax representative, amounts totaling over 16,000,000 euros. The above amounts, in their vast majority, were transferred from a specific Bank branch, to his personal accounts and from there to betting companies and casinos. It is pointed out that both the said Bank and the institutions that provide gambling and casino services and were involved in the above process, had the obligation to report suspicious transactions to the Anti-Money Laundering Authority.

The employees of the Business Directorate of S.D.O.E. Attica, with a high sense of duty and with their weapons their rich experience and know-how, will continue, with even greater intensity and determination, the fight for the protection of the financial interests of the Greek State and the EU. and combating fraud and profiteering against citizens.