Tax inspectors attacked after crashing wedding party
Two tax inspectors were set upon by the enraged members of a wedding party in Serres, northern Greece, with one of the officials having to be treated for concussion, their local union said on Tuesday.
According to media reports, the incident occurred on Saturday when the inspectors visited an events venue in the northern Greek town and asked to see its books, unaware that a wedding party was in progress in the main hall.
The venue's owner reportedly announced their presence on the wedding band's microphone, telling guests that the service of food and beverages would be suspended until the tax inspectors had left the building.
His announcement prompted some 40 to 50 guests to join the owner in attacking the tax inspectors, who were in the kitchen at the time of the assault.
Other media reports said the attack was prompted by the inspectors' refusal to leave on the request of the groom's father.
The spokesman for Serres tax officers, Dimitris Saitanoudis, told the Eleftheros Typos newspaper on Tuesday that the injured inspector has photographs showing how his shirt and trousers was torn to tatters in the attack.
The venue's owner has been arrested.
Tax inspectors have come under attack on several occasions when conducting checks on firms' books.