Corrupt officials reached Mykonos
Three Culture Ministry officials implicated in a wider racket of Athens Municipality and Attica Regional Authority employees who made thousands of euros by granting illegal licenses or providing immunity for zoning and environmental violations, appear to have expanded their activities to the holiday island of Mykonos and been active since last year at least, Kathimerini understands.
More specifically, the investigation into the racket has uncovered a case involving a clothing store on Mykonos where antiquities were discovered during a renovation project in the summer of 2023. According to the case file against the racket, members of the gang appear to have made it possible for the revamp to go ahead and for the store to enjoy its grand opening as planned, without having to delay to showcase parts of a medieval castle wall discovered during construction.
Indeed, an entry dated July 7, 2023, in a notebook kept by the suspected ringleader of the gang, refers to a Mykonos business and a payment of 10,000 euros that would be distributed between two individuals.
This specific business is not part of the case file being compiled against the racket, as the investigation so far is focused on its activities from April 2024 onwards. It is not known, therefore, whether the investigation’s revelations will lead to a further probe of all the cases handled by the three Culture Ministry employees – one of which was a high-ranking official of the Department for the Protection of Modern Monuments – who have already been dismissed from their posts for enabling violations of heritage conservation laws.
