The announcement comes after the arrests and prosecution of members of an extortion ring, including three municipal employees.
The first measures include the suspension of duties of the three officials involved, with two of them being placed on self-imposed holiday. The Disciplinary Council also gave an opinion in favor of the holiday of the third employee. The Municipality of Athens has declared a representation in support of the charge and is working closely with the authorities to clarify the case.
Mr. Doukas ordered the conduct of a Sworn Administrative Examination (SAR) for the case, with the responsibility being shared among the General Managers of the Municipality. The EDE aims to investigate malfunctions in services, especially in terms of day-to-day operation and project management, as well as to identify any disciplinary responsibilities of other employees. Also, proposals will be submitted to improve the procedures.
The initiatives of the Municipality of Athens include the reinforcement of the Internal Audit Department and the establishment of an Audit Committee, in accordance with Law n.4795/2021. Also, the Municipality will request information from the competent “Pothen Esches” Service for the submission of statements by its employees and will submit a request to the National Transparency Authority for the approval of the establishment of an Integrity Advisor position.
One of the central points of the initiatives is the creation of a digital platform for submitting reports and complaints, which will be interconnected with the information system of the Municipality. This will enable immediate and transparent management of complaints, with digital storage of all relevant documents.
In addition, there will be an update of the Regulatory Decision for the control of shops of health interest, with the obligation to post a QR Code at the entrance of the shops, which will contain the operating license and the details of the allocation of space for table seats. This measure aims to increase transparency and accountability.
Also, the information system of the Municipal Police will be upgraded, strengthening the monitoring and control of the shops, while the digital governance of the Municipality will be fully activated, reducing the need for physical presence of citizens in the services.
The Municipality of Athens is also promoting the elaboration of a special action program for the prevention and fight against corruption, which will also include the drafting of an Internal Code of Ethics and Conduct for the employees of the Municipality and the supervised legal entities.
Finally, the Municipality proposes the establishment of a project group by the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE) to review the cooperation between the Municipal Building Services and the newly established Special Inspectorate for the Control and Suppression of Unauthorized Construction, as well as other competent bodies, with aimed at clarifying responsibilities and enhancing transparency.
With these actions, the Municipality of Athens aims to build a more transparent and fair management system, strengthening citizens’ trust and promoting the reliability of municipal services.
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