Greek police seek fraud charges for volunteers
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) — Greek police say they are seeking criminal fraud and corruption charges against three senior officials in a volunteer firefighting organization.
A police statement says the suspects allegedly tried to bribe local officials to use the services of the organization, which charged annual subscriptions of 2,000-12,000 euros ($2,700-$16,500).
The statement said that, over the past 14 years, the unnamed organization fraudulently received more than 2.5 million euros ($3.4 million) in fees and donations from sponsors. It claimed that the group used second-hand fire engines donated from countries including Germany and Austria, and that most of these were uninsured and had not undergone safety inspections.
Senior Thessaloniki police official Athinagoras Pazarlis told a press conference Wednesday that the group's aim was "to milk state funds."
