A well organized circuit that damaged the state by getting false allowancesThe “Heart” service “hit” the Home Affairs Service.
Members of the circuit had “set up” their “jobs” in a region of Western Greece, with the aim of deceiving a disability Certification Center for Health Committees (KEPA) for the granting of disability benefits to non -beneficiaries, “treasure” by themselves and causing significant damage to the Greek State.
In the case, seven members of the criminal organization – including the leader – were arrested on Thursday, June 12, 2025 – two of whom are individuals, two employees of the Local National Social Security Directorate, one doctor and two nurses.
They were filed against them – on a case -by -case basis – for fraud against the Greek State committed and in attempted, continued and professional, employee bribery for actions or omissions that are contrary to his duties, complicity in the above act, Drugs law.
In addition, the case is accused of bribery of an employee and fraud against the Greek State another 34 people, 28 of whom have been identified.
How did the circuit work
According to the investigation of a relevant complaint, the defendants, at least since December 2024, took advantage of their position, showed false information to make decisions to grant monthly disability benefits or other facilities from the Committees of KEPA.
More specifically, the members of the organization, knowing the official process and the legislative framework, intervened in the physical examination of their ‘customers’altering their image, guiding the examiners themselves or their relatives.
To do this, they used medicinal-widowing preparations (to put in a state of repression during the examination), wheelchairs, bedtime pads, auxiliary supports, incontinence diapers, special layers and pharmaceuticals for the appearance of aberrations.
The pair of the circuit and the role of
The criminal organization also included a subgroup with a separate operational operation, which consisted of two detainees with a relative. The woman undertook the identification and recruitment of new “customers”, which she was leaving for the process of submitting applications and preparation for the KEPA committees, before referring to her husband, an employee with a critical role in the committees.
The couple operated almost autonomously, gaining the same economic benefit, with a characteristic pursuit of the woman to become the exclusive “clientele” provider, while not hesitating to promise a percentage of money to third parties to secure new candidates, with the aim of maximizing their illegal profits.
Members’ roles in the circuit
The 58 -year -old leader had the central coordination of the organization at all stages of action. It was locating the prospective “customers”, provided instructions for altering their clinical picture, organized links with other members (employees, physicians, nurses), determined the amounts that would require and managed the distribution of profits. He had complete control, maintaining deliberately waterproofs among the members, while using fake phones for operational coverage and made deals via third parties.
A 65 -year -old man, who was in charge of the secretary of the KEPA Committees, was the key mechanism of intervention in the examination procedures. Taking advantage of his position and his acquaintances with members of the committees, he mediated the issuance of positive opinions, even in cases where he did not participate in the Commission. It operated on the basis of the leader’s instructions, and was actively involved in receiving money, mainly in a private space.
A 48 -year -old, who held a position in the Pensions Department, served as a critical hub of financial information for “customers”, thus defining the amount of illegal fee. He also had active participation in bureaucratic procedures (applications, objections, modifications), and she also mediated in KEPA committees. on behalf of the organization.
A 65 -year -old, private and wife of the 65 -year -old, was locating people who wanted to secure a allowance, guiding them, preparing the envelopes and promoting them to her husband for mediation. For her “services” she received a percentage of the amounts paid, while seeking exclusivity in providing “customers” to increase her personal revenue.
A 55 -year -old doctorprovided fake medical opinions, sometimes electromyographs, to enhance the supposed clinical picture of the paraplegia of the examiners. The certificates provided were incorporated into the rapporteur files submitted to the KEPA Committees. And he was paid by the “customers” after consultation with the leader.
A 56 -year -old and a 53 -year -old, nurses in a public hospitalthey had a supportive but essential role in the criminal organization, acting as operational executive members. At the command of the Chief, they undertook the preparation of the “customers” to create the false image of a serious disability or complete weakness of self -service. They appeared as companions or relatives of the examiners, and took actions such as the administration of repressive drugs, the use of patches and nursing materials, or the adjustment of equipment (trolleys, incontinence diapers, betadine, etc.) to enhance the false image or delusion. For their participation they received a remuneration directly from the leader.
For their communication, the members of the criminal organization used fake telephone connections (“Ghost Phones”) as well as coded words and phrases to avoid detecting illegal action by the law enforcement authorities.
“Coffee” though … money
Indicatively, the word “coffee” was used as a substitute for the reporting of money relating to either the remuneration of the members or the amount required by the “customer”. In other cases, instead of accurate names or identity elements, initial, unclear descriptions or numbers were used, while clear references to allowance, committee or official procedures were avoided.
The survey found that the organization proceeded, at least:
13 Publications of irregular decisions with a retroactive of 173,873 euros and
15 irregular decisions to grant out-of-institutional monthly allowances -846- or -795-euro lifetime, with- where appropriate- commencement of payment in the years 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The estimated loss for the Greek State is EUR 121,824 per year from 2025, EUR 20,304 per year from 2024 and EUR 9,540 per year by 2023.
It is mentioned that the monthly allowance is obtained by the beneficiary as long as it is alive, that is, the upcoming damage to the Greek State amounts to EUR 10,152 per year for each beneficiary, and all payments could not be fully recorded due to limited access to other insurance payment files.
During the business, which was done in homes and workplaces, they found and seized, in total:
EUR 63,615, numerous documents with handwritten notes, pharmaceutical preparations (no medical pills), consumables of patients (gauze, pads, etc.), mobile phones, a computer and handwritten notes.
The detainees are taken to the competent prosecutor’s office, while investigations are continuing to determine the full range of the criminal organization’s illegal activities.