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Lakis Gavalas charged also with money laundering

05 February 2012 / 19:02:30  GRReporter
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New grave accusations have been made against Lakis Gavalas, this time for the legalization of proceeds of crime or the infamous "money laundering".

This situation of the famous businessman will become even worse, because after his arrest last Monday for non-payment of VAT amounting to nearly 150,000 Euros, now against him fresh allegations have been made about the legalization of proceeds of crime. And this, as well as not paying VAT, is a felony.

Along with the charges of money laundering made against the businessman, authorities have seized 16 of his properties worth tens of millions of Euros in Mykonos, Kifissia and Peania, and four of his accounts in Greek banks with 134,685 Euros, in order to enable the State to ensure its claims amounting to nearly 12 million Euros, which Gavalas owes.

In a report read before the Athens prosecutor's office, the anti-legalization of the proceeds of criminal activity, found that as a result of the investigation of the property of Lakis Gavalas the properties owned by the businessman, are the product of criminal activity.

In other words he bought the properties with means he was hiding and on which he had not paid the due taxes. And this is a felony, because their value surpasses many times the limit of 150,000 Euros, set by the law for criminal offences.

In particular, the report of the anti-legalization of proceeds of crime says it is a "product of tax evasion" which Gavalas "legalized" with the purchase of expensive real estate like that in Kifissia, a total area of ​​5 acres, a property in Ftelia on Mykonos, where he owns a house situated in a plot of total area ​​4.8 acres, and in the region of Peania, where he owns 14 farm plots of total area nearly 5 acres.

The same report mentions four accounts of the businessman in Greek banks - "Eurobank", the "National Bank", "Emporiki" and "Piraeus", where they seized the respective amounts of 56,087 Euros, 39,578 Euros, 31,000 Euros and 18,000 Euros.

The report of the Office is expected to be submitted to the district prosecutor who will order an investigation in order to be able to raise additional charges against the businessman for legalization of proceeds of crime, aside from the prosecution for tax evasion, which has already been raised.

Based on that report in the coming days the 60-year-old businessman is expected to be called by the prosecutor to give evidence as a suspect for money laundering.

This will be the fourth time in two months that Lakis Gavalas will face justice in connection with his liability to the state. He is now in Malandrino prison, Fokida province, after a short stay in Amfissa prison after his third arrest. He was then accused of not paying VAT amounting to nearly 150,000 Euros (felony) in 2011 from his second company, whose debts amount to 500,000 Euros.

The famous businessman who "led the dance" of arrests because he was the first of hundreds of detainees for tax liabilities who had actually gone to prison, was arrested for the first time in early December 2011 by the Office for Combating Economic Crimes. Gavalas was arrested at his home in Kolonaki, shortly after coming home from a nightclub. Later he was released and until his latest arrest was still carefree continuing with his celebrity lifestyle.

Lakis Gavalas’ first arrest - also a felony - was for not paying VAT amounting to 1.5 million Euros. After his speech, and with the agreement of the prosecutor, the judge released him on bail. Gavalas was released also last Friday, but several hours later, officers from the Office for Combating Economic Crimes handcuffed him again for the third time, and it was the bitterest one.

 

Tags: Greece money laundering Lakis Gavalas prison arrest
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