The Internal Affairs Department claims some success
Since the Internal Affairs Department of the Greek Police was set up in October 1999, it has had a number of successes to its credit. The most important of these are: – The arrest in November 1999 of Second Lieutenant Christos Reppas of the Meligala police station who, according to the investigation, headed a people-smuggling ring that supplied foreign women to places of entertainment in Achaia, Messinia, Elis and Laconia and ran a protection racket for nightclubs. – In December 1999, after an investigation by the department, charges were brought against 14 police officers, including seven from Menidi police station, for allegedly issuing illegal work permits to foreign women working in places of entertainment, protecting arcades with illegal electronic games, giving warning to the owners of premises of forthcoming inspections, facilitating illegal nationalizations and covering up illegal building activities. – In the same month, the internal affairs team uncovered the illegal activities of an Akrata policeman, who was accused of providing certificates to foreign women employed by nightclubs in the area. – A few days later, Michalis Voyiatzakis, who served at the Aliens’ Bureau of the Attica Security Police, was arrested for demanding money from a nightclub owner in the southern suburbs in return for blocking inspections of the premises. – In February 2000, Second Lieutenant Andreas Psinas, serving at Kalamos police station, was accused of helping a contractor erect illegal buildings and giving advance warning of imminent inspections. – In May 2001, police officers Georgios Markopoulos and Alexandros Athanassopoulos of the Kifissia Tourist Police were arrested for allegedly blackmailing a taverna owner over breaches of health and safety rules. – In June 2001, Dimitris Anastassopoulos of Menidi police station was arrested for allegedly returning a driver’s license on payment of a bribe. Police officer Charilaos Katsaros of Kolonos station was arrested for allegedly ensuring the disappearance of an incriminatory statement in return for payment. – In December 2001, Dimitris Mitopoulos of the Aghia Paraskevi traffic police was arrested for allegedly forging banknotes.
