The self-proclaimed billionaire and now fugitive Artemis Sorras has been charged with fraud and running a criminal organization. The office of prosecutor in Athens published a long list of charges against Artemis Sorras and seven of his close associates on Tuesday. The list of charges reportedly contain “half of the crimes including in the Greek penal law,” The charges are enough for life sentence.
Sorras and seven of his associates in his ultra-nationalist Greeks’ Convention movement are being accused of
racketeering, multiple attempting and committed fraud against individuals, the state, the banks and the social security funds, encouraging others to commit crime, perjury and money laundering, dissemination of fake news
According to investigation findings, Sorras claim of $600billion is non-existent, his assets are zero and his tax declarations were <zero> as well.
Investigators revealed that they have evidence at least 12,000 Greeks have sent letters to banks, tax offices and social security providers to which they owe money “authorizing” them to claim their debts from the Sorras fund.
While these authorizations have no legal basis. Furthermore, Sorras supporters are also behind a campaign inundating tax offices around the country with thousands of similar missives, refusing to pay their debts.
Preliminary figures from the investigation indicate, for example, that the IKA social security fund is owed a total of 4.7 million euros from 115 citizens who submitted such “authorizations” and cannot take any action to collect the money until each claim is processed.
Greek media reported that among Sorras supporters who submitted “authorizations” to the tax offices were businessmen with big debts to the state. According to Star TV, 41 of them have big debts to the state, each of them owing one million to eight million euros. Did Sorras exploit and misguided them or they exploited Sorras?
Of course, among those submitting ‘authorizations’ to the tax offices are also poor people who try to lean somewhere and survive the economic crisis.
The charges came after Justice Minister Nikos Kontonis ordered multiple investigations against the man who has been claiming for seven years that he owns enough money to buy Greece’s debt in exchange for political obedience.
Last week, a court sentenced Sorras and his wife to 8 years imprisonment after the couple’ best man filed a lawsuit, the couple has been fugitive ever since. It has been suspected that the couple has been hiding in the home of one of the loyal members of the Sorras organization.
Tuesday morning, police operation in the country house of a organization member ended without result.
Following the new charges, the prosecutor is expected to issue a new arrest warrant.
At the same time, prosecutors are also building cases against Sorras after around complaints by citizens who admitted to having been tricked into paying a membership fee to Convention of Greeks in exchange for help to settle their debts.
The membership fee is €5 per month to €50 per year, Sorras organization chases another 50 euro as administration fee for the issue of the “authorization” to the tax office.
Many of his followers do not seem to be discouraged by the fact that their leader has been found guilty of embezzlement. After the shock of the first days, his followers in 250 branches across the country have launched a campaign, going on the streets and calling on Greeks to join the movement.
Among others, they promise that when they come to power they will abolish toll fees and taxes. When they come to power? Yes. Artemis Sorras was planning to enter politics.
Justice came earlier than the elections though.
sources: kathimerini, protothema, news247.gr and other media.