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Politicians, government officials and prosecutors are implicated in the much-vaunted “investment” that the Secret Service has been monitoring since 2009 in regards to money laundering.
Already in 2009 and for almost a decade, the National Intelligence Service (EYP) had put under the microscope the suspicious movements of those involved in the so-called Zakynthos Shipwreck scandal, linking the big fraud of selling off even public land to the devastating fire in Anafonitria. As can be seen from the documents we are revealing today, during various governments (ND and SYRIZA), the EYP collected information for the investigation of the financial scandal, but also carried out surveillance of the persons involved. The case ceased to be a scandal, although it was officially under investigation by the Justice Department only during the days of the Kyriakos Mitsotakis government.
The case of Zakynthos: a lasting and not a momentary scandal, the improper management and investigation of which over many years, on the one hand by specific state and political actors, on the other by the judiciary, which not only obstructed but allegedly… also lost evidence, highlights a gloomy background that demonstrates the concerted “reluctance” of those in charge to shed a lot of light on this stinking story, to the detriment of the public and to the benefit of large foreign interests.
Documento today brings to the public new, shocking facts about the scandal of the purchase and sale of the land near the Shipwreck of Zakynthos, for which seven involved persons have already been brought to trial for serious crimes.
As can be seen from confidential information sheets of the National Intelligence Service, which Documento has at its disposal, since 2009 already the secret services of the country had put under their microscope the attempts of suspicious investments in Zakynthos and those who were initially involved as well as in Continuity. In fact, according to information from Documento, the relevant attachments were legal and had nothing to do with national security reasons, but with an investigation into possible money laundering and fraud after information that had reached our country from American services and raised the alarm, initially to the Authority Combating Money Laundering from Illegal Activities. However, although the disputed conversations and the related information sheets of the EYP were legally forwarded to the prosecution authorities in 2016, they were nevertheless not included in the case file, while it is unknown where they are today and why they have not been declassified, since they are not attachments that concerned the national security.
It also remains unknown why Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs appears today surprised by the fact of the 2016 connections and tries to offset the case with the current scandal of illegal surveillance of political figures, even though, as Documento’s reliable information says, the administration of Panagiotis Kontoleon he was fully informed about them.
But let’s unravel the tangle of this case.
The fire in Zakynthos, arson and the EYP
It was August 2009 when a fire broke out in Zakynthos at the Anafonitria site of the Elatio Municipality of Zakynthos which burned tens of thousands of acres of forest. The EYP sounded the alarm as there were reports of arson from residents. The search yielded a bass. The burned area had attracted the interest of Chinese investors to buy 13,000 acres. According to the information of the EYP, “the purchase of the land would take place in two years and its utilization in approximately 5-6 years”, with a large part of the area belonging to the Holy Metropolis of Zakynthos. An information sheet also mentioned Georgios Haros. This is the seller, said to be the owner of the disputed 14,467.49 acres, which was eventually sold with false notarial deeds in 2014 to Pimana, and one of the seven persons who were recently arraigned. According to the information of the EYP, Haros, “owner of a cafe in the village of Anafonitria with financial problems”, has “a lot of land in the area” and “is looking for a buyer for his property”. In another EYP information bulletin, dated October 1, 2009, regarding the fires in Zakynthos, it was noted that “Haros had contacted Russians to sell the lands.”
US briefed on possible ties to ISIS
The monitoring continued during the next Samaras-Venizelos government. The case had already begun to preoccupy the press as well as the judiciary. However, something else happened. The American authorities have informed the Greek authorities that according to information one of the prospective investors for the Zakynthos Shipwreck was probably laundering money related to the Islamic State (ISIS). An alarm sounded in Athens. The money laundering authority duly informed. The EYP targeted those related to the case. That is, an executive of the Pimana company, government employees and political figures. Through them, EYP also came across Stergios Piciorlas. The later head of TAIPED during the SYRIZA government and later deputy minister appears to have contacts and conversations with some of the persons who are currently accused of crimes. An information sheet from September 2014, which is available at Documento, is typical. In this St. Piciorlas is named as a “representative of PIMANA”. According to EYP information, Picsiorlas “accused the law firm that represented PIMANA and Georgios Haros of not doing a proper check, as a result of which he was exposed”.
The Saia and Picciorla talks and their involvement
Meanwhile, the government changes. SYRIZA and ANEL take over the government of the country in January 2015. St. Picsiorlas is placed in the TAIPED (so his monitoring is not prohibited due to his parliamentary or ministerial status) and Spyros Sayas general secretary of the government. The EYP continues to investigate the scandal and the persons involved. Pitsiorlas and Sayas – allegedly as a legal advisor to investors – appear to be talking with either a representative of the company or with some of the involved persons who were eventually referred to trial for the “Vatopedi of Zakynthos”.
However, things are not particularly favorable for investment. In June 2015, the then Minister of National Defense, Panos Kammenos, proceeded to revoke the license that had been given in July 2014 by his predecessor to Pimana “for the acquisition by deed of real rights of ownership, jurisdiction and possession” of the island of Agios Ioannis in Zakynthos. The reason for the revocation had to do with the “existence of any rights of the State” but also with reasons of “public interest” and “national security” of the country. It is clear that investors are looking for policy and not just support.
In January 2016, Sp. Sayas talks to a Pimana executive. The date mentioned in the “top secret” EYP document is January 22, 2016. Some of it, a large part, has already been published. Some others are not published today and are of great interest.
Sayas refers to a document in which “his signature is forged”, while he appears personally annoyed with Picciorla, saying that “but he is responsible because he has introduced fraudsters to us”.
Picciorla’s conversation with the representative of a consulting company is then recorded. Among other things, the latter points out that they took the file from the then financial prosecutor Galinos Bri “and inside we found forged and falsified documents and we are looking to find out how they got there”.
In another conversation Sayas is reportedly furious with Picciorla as he claims he introduced a “crook lawyer” to the company. “He may be your friend but he’s a fraud,” Sayas tells Piciorlas, while also claiming that a Pimana executive told him that Piciorlas introduced the lawyer to them because he was “panicked that we’re going to jail.”
Picciorla’s conversation with an accused surveyor
On January 24, 2016, Pitsiorlas talks to the surveyor Giorgos Vassilakis. This is yet another person who was brought to trial for the Zakynthos scandal. Vassilakis calls Pitsiorlas and informs him that he is in Zakynthos and that “on Wednesday morning he went to the Prosecutor”. Vassilakis allegedly has contacts with a well-known criminologist, “with Sayas and with Haros’ lawyer”. In fact, the latter reportedly told Vassilakis that “the most burdensome papers in the case file are his and Haros’s, that is, responsible statements that there are no buildings, and it partly worried him”.
It is not the only communication between the accused Vasilakis and St. Piciorla recorded by EYP. Another one follows on January 31. According to the EYP newsletter, “Vassilakis informs that he did that act with Gyftopoulou”. This is the notary public who is also accused today and one of the seven persons who have been brought to trial. Picciorla’s answer is shocking. Naturally, he replies to Vassilakis “that they are making a big effort to get the file into the file from the Prosecutor’s Office”, while he appears to be trying to “clear” Vassilakis of disciplinary and criminal responsibilities.
“The other disciplinary matter is yours (of Vasilakis) at the TEE, etc. an effort is being made not to bring criminal charges” Pitsiorlas tells Vassilakis, while noting that “the main thing is to form an opinion that says there is no fraud”.
The “recommendations” of the then prosecutor Athanasios
What is mentioned in the EYP documents about the then head of the Economic Prosecutor’s Office, Panagiotis Athanasiou, is also impressive. The defendant today, Vassilakis, in the conversation he had on January 24, 2016, made a reference to the prosecutor P. Athanasiou. As he reports, “when Mr. Athanasiou went to pick up the case file, at the door of his office, he said to him: ‘You know why we are calling you, regarding the issues of the buildings, see what you have to say to give explanations'”. In fact, as Vassilakis claimed, Athanasiou also allegedly “told him the expression by accident”, which a well-known lawyer “interpreted as a good thing”.
Pitsiorlas answers Vassilakis “yes” and in the end “tells him that this detour is good”. The conversation raises many questions regarding the actions of financial prosecutor Athanasios. It is typical that the specific conversations, although they were forwarded to the Economic Prosecutor’s Office by the Ministry of Finance, were not used as evidence. According to reports that have not been denied, the prosecutor’s explanation is that this was not done because it was not legal evidence. Today, nobody even knows where they are.
In addition, even if the prosecutor Athanasiou had objections to use the specific conversations for reasons of legitimacy, according to sources from the area of Justice, the judicial council and not the prosecutor is competent to decide on the matter. Much more so when the name of the then head of the Economic Prosecutor’s Office appears through third parties in the conversations and it is even reported that he made a recommendation to the person involved how to proceed in the case. The question that reasonably arises is what did P. Athanasiou do about it, as with this report someone investigated by the Financial Prosecutor’s Office was tarnishing his name. Documento repeatedly called P. Athanasiou by phone to convey his position on the issues that arise, but it was not possible to speak with him.
The head of the Estate with Piciorla
One of the striking aspects of the case, which also raises questions about the handling of the Justice, has to do with what the EYP bug has recorded regarding the involvement of the head of the Zakynthos Real Estate Service, Angeliki Zourbanou. The latter appears to be conversing either with representatives of Pimana or directly with St. Picciorla and in general to take orders in order to serve the interests of the company.
On January 28, 2016 Pimana’s representative is seen “scolding” Zurbanou saying “someone is not pressuring Patras to give us this paper they need”. Zurbanou answers him “that she has spoken with Piciorlas and they have arranged for the vice president’s office (s.s. does not mention specifically) to talk, but they (s.s. Patra) justify themselves by saying that they have work” .
In a subsequent conversation between the two, Zurbanou advises the representative of Pimana to get someone (i.e. a representative of the company) to Patras and ask what this delay is for. She points out to him that her supervisor “told her that in the first ten days of February the matter will be over, however she advises him again to call the company so that her department does not think that she is interested”.
On the same day, Zurbanou again informs the representative of Pimana “that she tried unsuccessfully to contact Patras”.She also mentions to him the idea he has to propose to Picciorla “that the lawyers make a request in which they will ask the reason for the delay officially”. Zurbanou will “report to her colleagues that she was taken by the company’s lawyer and that there is a fear that the company will turn against them (s.s. of the public)”.
In another conversation on the same day between Zurbanou and the lawyer, the head of the Zakynthos Real Estate Service “explains to her that they will have to make a paper because she cannot keep bothering them because they will suspect her”. She also claims that Picsiorlas has put the general secretariat to pressure (she mentions a name) and he in turn put pressure on its head.
On January 29, 2016, Zurbanou is seen communicating by phone again with a representative of the company. She informs him that in her “conversation with Picciorla, the latter told her that the superior (she does not mention who) promised that they would have it ready by the 15th of the month.” In addition, she tells him how the general secretary of the ministry took it. Nevertheless, he asks him to send the paper they agreed on the day before.
Zurbanou’s finding in favor of the company
According to the referral will, Zurbanou, together with another colleague, had undertaken to prepare a report for part of the disputed area in Zakynthos. The opinion was issued on 16 May 2016 but reached two different conclusions. One was that rights in favor of the Greek state were presumed and the other, what was signed by Ag. Zurbanou, that they do not arise. However, Zurbanou in her conclusion underlined that she reserves the right for the possible existence of rights that will arise from the carving of the coastline and beach, the declassification of streams and from any expropriations that may have taken place and the service is not aware of any evidence arising from the court decision and does not relate to the validity of Haros’ will. The final conclusion came out in February 2017, but Zurbanou was not involved in it. The conclusion was that the rights of the Greek public were being asserted and there was a recommendation not to recognize the area as private and to classify it as a forest area. However, the conversations raise questions about her attitude, as well as what would have been the evolution of the criminal proceedings for her if the disputed conversations had been included in the case file.
In its microscope since 2009 and for about ten years, the EYP had put the suspicious movements of persons involved in the Zakynthos Shipwreck scandal, which was connected to the big fraud of selling off even public land after the catastrophic fire in Anafonitria. The state intelligence service was monitoring, among others, Stergio Picciorla, before he became a minister, who appeared as a representative of Pimana which wanted to make the investment. The then general secretary of the SYRIZA – ANEL government Spyros Sayas, who had contacts with the company’s executives, is also heard in conversations.
The whole article can be read in Greek on this link →scandal Shipwreck of Zakynthos
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