What do 20 weapons and 60 knives in the home of a businessman? Greek police was curious to know and raided the home of a fugitive businessman and thus in the context of extreme-right Golden Dawn investigation after a witness, a former officer of UK army, claimed the man was supplying weapons to the political party. However the businessman seems to be not fugitive due to the officer’s allegations but due to a bank scandal.
“An investigation into fugitive businessman Anastasios Pallis, a former associate of shipowner Victor Restis, continued on Wednesday, after police officers confiscated dozens of weapons from his residence in Voula, southern Athens, late on Tuesday.
The probe was being conducted after retired British Army officer Edward Pringle-Stacey, who worked with Pallis, suggested to police that the businessmen had in his possession some 4,000 weapons, which may have been linked to Neo-Nazi Golden Dawn.
On Wednesday the investigation centered on a sealed container which had not been claimed and had was registered in the name of an institute founded by Pallis. According to reports, a second container registered to the same institute contained a luxury car.
On Tuesday police seized 21 automatic guns from Pallis’s house. They had been registered as hunting rifles. Officers also found 60 knives and two Tasers from the shipowner’s home.” (ekathimerini)
According to daily TA NEA the mysterious containers contained an anti0aircraft flak gun, probably of Canadian origin, disassembled and ‘nonfunctional’ and one Chevrolet. “The shipment had left the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium in February and had arrived in Piraeus port in March. Nobody had claimed the shipment, while receiver was a foundation of Pallis, that allegedly operated as museum.” (read the full article via automatic translation)
According to private MEGA TV the one shipment came from Belgium and the other from USA.
A bit background about the British officer via ekathimerini:
“Edward Pringle-Stacey wrote via his lawyer to the Supreme Court to provide information that he thought may be useful for authorities in their search for weapons that Golden Dawn could be hiding.
Pringle-Stacey alleged that in 2011, when he was working with Anastasios Pallis, an ex-associate of ship owner Victor Restis, he saw a collection of about 4,000 firearms at premises owned by Pallis, who is currently wanted by authorities for the illegal possession of 70 guns. According to the witness from Britain, the weapons included AK-47 and M-16 assault rifles.
Pringle-Stacey filed charges of abduction and attempted blackmail against Pallis last month, claiming he was held against his will at Athens International Airport by three men that were working for Pallis, who tried to get him to sign a document while he was there.
Restis is currently in custody for alleged embezzlement at First Business Bank, where he was the main shareholder.” (ekathimerini)
The Financial Crime Units investigate the finances of Golden Dawn in 12-year depth trying to find evidence who was funding the party that had several million euro expenses with 70 offices across the country.
