The Money Laundering Authority’s investigation found investments in nightclubs, with money funneled from the coffers of the Catholic Church, with the assets of five businessmen in the Peloponnese frozen.
In the target of the Authority are two priests who hold a high position in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in Greece, against whom there were indications of embezzlement of millions of euros from the accounts they managed.
About 3 million euros were found, according to information, to have “left” the specific accounts of the Catholic Church to end up investing in nightclubs.
The case came to the public from two sides: first from the prosecutor’s investigation that is being done in Syros, because from the diocese of Syros it seems to be the focus of this investigation related to the finances of the Catholic church. And secondly from the Anti-Money Laundering Authority.
The head of the Authority, Charalambos Vourliotis, proceeded to freeze the bank accounts and assets, as suspicious amounts were found. These amounts were directed from the accounts of high-ranking figures of the Catholic Church to the accounts of businessmen active in the western Peloponnese with nightclubs.
The recipient’s background
As her report states Ioannas Mandrou one of the persons who appears to be the recipient of the sums of money has criminal involvements in the past, information that was also confirmed by Vassilis Lambropoulos.
The report of the police editor of the “Vima” and “Nea” newspapers, Vassilis Lambropoulos, states that the person who received the money and had criminal involvements, is a private individual, who has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for extorting a Metropolitan in Central Greece and today has passed away.
The person in question, who blackmailed a few days ago, had purchased a night club in Patras.
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