Inspectors investigating corruption in Greece’s “Disease Control and Prevention Center” (KEELPNO) have found thousands of important documents in a room behind a plasterboard wall in the offices in a suburb of North Athens, newspaper documento revealed on Sunday.
The “secret depot” was discovered in an joint operation by public administration inspectors and police on October 26, following a tip off by an anonymous source.
The big question is, of course, who stored the documents invoices, receipts and bank account movements and did not destroy them.
The depot was well hidden in the underground parking section of the KEELPNO building in Marousi.
“Inspectors and police officers were knocking with their fists on the walls for hours until somebody reported a part of one wall was sounded hollow,” documento writes.
more pictures documentonews.gr
Inspectors found a plasterboard and behind it a door. The door lead to a room with several wardrobes and carton boxes full of documents.
via deputy health minister Pavlos Polakis
“Inspectors identified KEELPNO contracts, receipts and invoices, bank account movements and other material that documents the Center’s operation until 2015,” the newspaper notes. It adds that former KEELPNO management and finances department were claiming towards inspectors seeking these documents that they were seized by prosecutors in previous investigations.”
After several months of investigation, health inspectors from the public administration had found out in November 2015 that KEELPNO had wasted public money for virtual advertising and promotions. The documents in the secret depot reveal who were benefited from the money and how.
The report on Sunday seemed absurd and was mocked by several on Greek social media.
On Monday, the discovery was officially confirmed by Maria, Papaspyrou, General Director of Public Administration.
“The findings are very important and will help to complete the investigation after they have been evaluated by the competent inspectors. These papers should be in their places and not hidden,” Papaspyrou told state broadcaster ERT. There are the missing documents investigating inspectors were looking for, she added.
While inspectors are evaluating the “missing” documents of KEELPNO, the Parliamentary Committee investigating ex Red Cross hospital Henry Dunant (Errikos Dynan) submitted its first findings report to the political party leaders.
Investigated was the hospital operation from its foundation in 2000 until its liquidation and auction in September 2014.
The report refers to the basic reasons behind the financial mismanagement at the hospital and examines the shortfalls of management like treatment free of charge for politicians and their relatives, publishers, journalists and artists etc, worth estimated more than 33 million euros for 2005-2009 alone.
At the same time, the report mentions that further investigation should be conducted on the political responsibility of four former Health Ministers, three from New Democracy and one from PASOK.
The intraparty Parliamentary Committee investigates corruption and mismanagement scandals in the Health sector for the time period 1997-2014.
It is not secret that the Health Sector in Greece was the place where big parties with public money were celebrating for decades.
Investigation is apparently difficult as the system knows how to defend itself.
