The Catholic Church in Greece is under scrutiny after officials were accused of embezzling over €3 million (approx. £2.5 million) and funneling the money through cafes and nightclubs. Greece’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority, which uncovered the financial misconduct, has frozen the bank accounts and assets of five nightclub owners in the Peloponnese region.
The investigation traces back nearly eight years, with the earliest suspicious transaction disguised as an investment sent to one of the five implicated individuals. Just days ago, a recent illegal transfer of €50,000 was flagged, intensifying suspicions of a long-running scheme. Initially detected during a routine audit, the case has since been escalated to the chief prosecutor's office for further investigation into possible embezzlement and money laundering.
The prosecutor's office plans to question seven individuals linked to the scandal, with potential felony charges looming. In response, the Catholic Church in Greece released a statement on Thursday, claiming no prior knowledge of the accused priests' actions. “Following today's reports on embezzlement and money laundering, we declare that we have no official information on the issue and await updates from relevant authorities to form an official position,” the statement read.
No comments:
Post a Comment