Kilkis: Three arrests of employees of the Directorate of Transport and Communications – 2024-02-22 12:51:12

Serving citizens as a priority, issuing license plates with easy numbering, issuing driving licenses with forged supporting documents and securing a protocol number after the deadline, is attributed – among others – to the three employees of the Kilkis Transport and Communications Directorate, who were arrested together with eight private individuals, after a months-long investigation of the incorruptible members of EL.AS. All this, of course, with compensation, as the arrested employees are accused of receiving a “bag” which, depending on the type of service and their position, could even reach 1,000 euros.

The case began to be investigated last September, following a complaint by a car dealer from Northern Greece that he paid officials sums of money to register trucks he had imported from a neighboring country as passenger cars, which he then offered for sale, obtaining illegal assets. benefit, as stated in an announcement by EL.AS.

From the investigation of the Internal Affairs Service of the Security Forces of Northern Greece of EL.AS. it emerged that each of the three employees had their own network, consisting of the private individuals involved (dispatchers and an engineer) whom they served as a matter of priority, yet acting in an organized manner with distinct and mutually supporting roles.

Their alleged action

As stated in the same announcement, the accused employees of the Directorate of Transport and Communications are charged with the following:

• they served with priority (“fast track”) the handlers in relation to the rest of the citizens when settling their clients’ cases (e.g. issuance of traffic permits, transfers, etc.), receiving corresponding sums of money and bypassing the legal procedure
• issued specific license plates with easy or specific numbering (eg date of birth, year of founding of favorite team, pattern such as “mirror” number 1991);
• they proceeded to embezzle license plates, which were then granted to private operators, without having previously issued the corresponding licenses

In addition, it was found that apart from their above alleged criminal activity, they allegedly continuously disclosed information related to personal data of vehicle owners and handed over sums of money to doctors in order to issue false medical certificates for the purpose of renewing their clients’ driving licenses.

the “tariff”

According to what EL.AS announced, the individual monetary benefits received by two of the accused employees ranged from 5 to 150 euros on a case-by-case basis for issues such as priority overtaking, the provision of easily numbered license plates or the issuance of driving licenses with forged documents.

However, in the case of the third accused employee, who held a decision-making position, the amounts were differentiated and set at 200 euros for the issuance of a trailer vehicle registration permit and 1,000 euros for securing a protocol with a date prior to the deadline for submitting supporting documents. Having full supervision of the process, he allegedly received the unfair financial benefits, part of which he handed over to the other members of the ring.

The “peach”, the “suit” and the “numbers”

The “incorruptible” of EL.AS. they unsealed the phone and found that the individuals involved often used coded terminology or phrases when communicating with each other, avoiding naming the employees.

Indicative phrases or words used to describe unfair monetary benefits were: ‘quick’, ‘pin’, ‘change’, ‘squeeze’, ‘sweeten’, ‘treat’, ‘fast stamp’, ‘sort out’, ‘service “, “suit”, while license plates were called “numbers” and the process of maintaining license plates “kavanja”.

From the investigation so far, 116 cases of trailer license issuance, 64 cases of priority service, 60 cases of use of the engineer’s stamp, 28 cases of misappropriation of license plates, 13 cases of issuance of license plates with easy numbering and 8 cases of issuance of license plates with forged supporting documents and securing a protocol number.

What was seized?

In searches carried out in houses, vehicles, business premises, as well as from the possession of the arrested, 35,800 euros, 15 gold pounds and gold coins, 12 mobile phones, 3 unclassified license plates, two-wheelers – trailers, 3 business stamps, were found and confiscated. 4 firearm cartridges of various calibers, blank affidavits and authorization forms, which bore official signatures and handwritten notes and agendas.

Another 57 people are included in the case file, while the offenses are related – as the case may be – to the following: criminal organization, bribery and bribery of an employee, false certificate, obtaining a false certificate, forgery, breach of official confidentiality, false medical certificates, bribery and bribery of private sector, dereliction of duty, breach of state-citizen relations and weapons legislation.

The arrested were taken to the Kilkis District Court Prosecutor’s Office.

Source: RES-MPE