Newsroom
A major corruption scandal has come to light in Greece, where authorities have arrested nine people tied to bribery and backdoor dealings in public land registry offices across Attica.
Among those arrested are six registry employees and three intermediaries who were allegedly pocketing €500 bribes to fast-track property paperwork. The suspects are believed to be part of an organized network that profited by jumping the queue on property cases for private clients.
The investigation, led by the Hellenic Police’s Internal Affairs Division and backed by the Ministry of Digital Governance, began last fall after a wave of citizen complaints. Police monitored phone calls and placed eight registry offices under surveillance, including locations in Athens, Kallithea, Halandri, Nea Ionia, and Piraeus.
Raids carried out on Tuesday turned up €63,000 in cash, much of it found stashed in the home of a senior department head.
In response, the Ministry of Digital Governance underscored the need for transparency and pushed for the digitization of the land registry system as the only way forward. “Digitization ensures visibility in all procedures for citizens, professionals, and employees alike,” it stated.
Deputy Minister Christos Boukoros made it clear there would be zero tolerance for corruption. “Those who think they can exploit the system won’t find any shelter. We’re building a registry that’s efficient and transparent; corruption has no place in it,” he said.
The investigation is still underway, with more details expected from the Hellenic Police in the coming days.
