The deputy director of the Corfu Tax Office, according to the indictment, had a leading role, his other three colleagues are characterized as executives of the organization, while the accountant is accused of being a member of the ring and of direct cooperation.
Businessmen of Corfu spoke to APE-MBE and emphasized that they need tax changes and consider it an opportunity to immediately change the control process, so that there is no personal communication that causes corruption. They ask that the standardization of these controls be such that the entrepreneur automatically knows what he has to pay and the state has revenue.
A unit of the AADE has been in Corfu since yesterday afternoon and is conducting sweeping checks both for the cases of those arrested and more broadly over the course of several years.
Corfu: The new revelations about the tax ring and the mafia dialogues
According to the report aired on the ANT1 newscast, the businessmen in their complaints say the ring has been approaching them to settle cases for a fee and they say this has been going on for at least 9 years. In fact, the circuit had full knowledge of the financial amount that each entrepreneur made.
Characteristic of the way the ring operates is, in fact, the testimony that wants the “brain” of the ring to eat in a tavern and because the owner did not treat him, he gave the order to “crush him”. “I’ve been approached a few times… Just ‘let’s have a coffee, you know now’ they told me,” says a business owner who was targeted by extortionists nine years ago.
“Older, years, my child… I’ve been written up a few times,” he adds, while noting that when someone didn’t go along with them, it had consequences. “I’ve been written up many times. Around 500 euros. We here are trying to get all the time in two months to pay these obligations, that is, the very difficult ones. We make a lot of money, but we also pay a lot. Okay, everyone does their job. From accountants to everything, everything. It is not a current phenomenon”, explains the businessman.
It is worth noting that, according to the report of ANT1, the sworn tax officials avoided talking directly with their victims, in order to avoid their detection. Instead, in order to reach them, they used a private accountant.
According to another witness, the one who did the most was the deputy director of the Tax Office. “He circumvented everything together, with the accountant. He went to a tavern to eat with his family and because he was not treated, the next day he sent his family with the order to “crush him”, he explains.
In fact, those who know say that the “brain” of the spiral behaved like another “emperor”, as those who did not accept to pay were “loaded” with fines, in order to create in this way a special lever of pressure.
“He went to shops that had big turnovers. Who has big turnovers, who makes big sales… That’s where I’ll ask. They knew where they were going. Before going to a shop they had searched for the businessman. You’re not going to blackmail him by accident. First of all, if it’s someone who has a problem, they should see if they can do something…”, says another witness.
Meanwhile, police are describing the alleged ringleader as a “ruthless extortionist” as he suggested mob tactics to his accomplices to avoid potential police surveillance.
It is worth noting that the members of the ring with the tax officials had found many ways to earn money, whether large or small amounts.
There is an incident where one of the accused tax officials allegedly undertook to make the tax return of an individual for 80 euros, which is expressly prohibited due to his status, in order for the individual not to be called upon to pay tax. From the said incident it is proved that the members of the ring tried at every opportunity to obtain some benefit, small or large.
In fact, according to the report, there are three other individuals in the file who, in a similar way, either to escape or not to pay, had given the sums of 15 and 18 thousand euros. They too will be called to testify as defendants in this case, as they have committed the crime of bribing a public official.
“You never put a big package at home” – The mafia dialogues in the circuit of tax officials in Corfu
“So tell the man in an envelope, write on the outside “balance sheet-document-receipts” so they can be seen, he doesn’t mind. He leaves it on your desk.” In this way, within… “camouflaged” folders, the members of the circle of electors tax officials her Corfu they received the sums of money from the extorted businessmen.
This is an excerpt from the recorded conversations between the deputy director of the DOU of Corfu and a supervisor of the tax office, which led to the dismantling of the criminal organization by the Directorate of Internal Affairs. The envelope with the money ended up on their desk when they were away, stayed for two days in the same place so they could make sure they weren’t being followed, and when they felt safe they disappeared and collected the extortion loot.
“Even if there was a case and they find it, I’ll say, guys, a file, my office is open. Anyone can get in, I don’t know. Every day they leave me here auditors files, stories, etc., a file came in, I had not had time to see it, where do I know. It can’t be proven,” says the deputy director – “brain” of the illegal activity – in the same conversation.
In addition to the four tax officials and the accountant-“partner”, the case file includes another DOU employee who is accused of breach of duty, as well as three businessmen who gave in to the extortionate demands. Since last May, the five arrested extorted the total amount of 183,000 euros and received more than 38,000.
As the incorruptible members of EL.AS found out, the accused deputy manager did not hesitate to order an inspection at a seaside shop in Corfu, as when he visited it with his family… he paid normally for what he ordered and they did not give him a better price. The audit was carried out on June 28 and violations were confirmed, but a month later the auditors “erased” the sanctions. In another case, one of the arrested tax officials prepared a tax return for a friend of his, in a way that would prevent the imposition of any tax, receiving the amount of 80 euros.
“You never put a big package in the house”, warns the deputy director in communication with his accomplice, giving instructions for… counter-surveillance. The following dialog follows:
DEPUTY PRINCIPAL: Or you make an appointment somewhere after the (unintelligible sentence), let me tell you because I don’t (unintelligible sentence) for coffee, come out and I’ll take you in the car to go for a walk. You take her for a ride.
SUPERVISOR: The point is…
DEPUTY DIRECTOR: You’re walking, be careful, you’re walking (unintelligible phrase), behind you if someone follows.
Last August, the “collaborating” accountant, who was arrested for his participation in the ring, demanded the amount of 35,000 euros from his client on behalf of the tax authorities. The woman, who was a co-owner of a food products company, reported to authorities that the accountant informed her of an alleged audit, which, she said, would surely lead to the imposition of a hefty fine. Under this pretext he asked her to pay the amount, in order to “freeze” the check.
The bargains
In another conversation the members of the organization describe the… “bargains” with one of their victims.
DEPUTY DIRECTOR: 20 a year, I tell him. It says a lot. What a lot, hey, are you okay, hey, I tell him?
OFFICER: Is 600 a year a lot?
DEPUTY DIRECTOR: It’s a lot, I tell him, do you work for us, I tell him? Are you okay, I tell him? You have been stealing for so many years. Only the fines (unintelligible sentence), let the people tighten up, it doesn’t matter, you catch the big fish, ten more small ones come…
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