Socialist PASOK-KINAL has suspended the party status of two of its members named in a gang extorting ‘protection” money from business owners in downtown Athens.
“Due to their alleged involvement in a criminal case that came to light, the Statute and Certification Ethics Committee has suspended the party status of two members of PASOK-KINAL and has informed them accordingly, until the end of the criminal proceedings,” the party said in a statement.
The two PASOK/KINAL members are reportedly employees at the Culture Ministry.
Minister Lina Mendoni has already announced that the two employees are being suspended from their duties until the case is being cleared at the court.
14 people in total have been arrested for forming a criminal organization extorting business owners in the city’s center to avoid administrative fines and inspections.
In addition to the two, among the arrestees are also nine public officials and members of the municipality police.
The suspects face multiple charges, including forming a criminal organization, extortion, and bribery.
When corrupt govt. staff such as those in the City of Athens extortion racket has an awful 3 pronged effect:
We pay these people through our taxes, we are not served because monitoring sidewalks and urban space are “bribed away” so we suffer, our complaints fall on deaf ears.