The developments regarding the investigations for the property of Giorgos Tragas are rapid, after the freezing of all the assets and the bank deposits that he kept both individually and with his wife Maria Carra. According to initial estimates, all of his assets are valued at over 100 million euros.
Financial Prosecutor Christos Bardakas studies the finding of the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (dirty money laundering) more than 60 pages, on the basis of which the pledge of the property was made.
Also owned is the wife of the late journalist Maria Carra, who has joint bank accounts, while she participated as a shareholder in their businesses.
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The persons involved, who have been put under the microscope of the authorities, are said to be 3 to 4 close associates, who participated both in the business activity of George Tragas and in the mediation and facilitation of the movement of large sums of money and the purchase of real estate, etc.
< p> The next steps of the financial prosecutor
Mr. Bardakis will proceed with the investigation in the criminal part of the case. In the next period, he will look for whether and to what extent his relatives and close associates participated in the financial activity of the deceased journalist. in bank accounts abroad, nor in the process of acquiring their father's property.
Once the investigation is completed, Mr. Bardakis will start calling as suspects those he finds involved. Depending on the explanations that will be given, he will proceed with the actions provided by law. However, according to the data, in case of involvement of persons, the prosecutions that will be brought will be of a criminal nature for the offenses of money laundering and unjust enrichment (crimes that carry sentences of at least 10 years).
< p> Relatives are expected to go to court
However, after the developments, the property of George Tragas, both in Greece and abroad, has been “frozen”.
< p>If his wife and children accept an inheritance, they will be found guilty, as they will be prosecuted for money laundering and unjust enrichment.
However, the relatives of the deceased journalist are expected to exercise all legal remedies in order to overturn the decision to seize his property.
Real estate, lockers and gold bars
So far, authorities have identified that Giorgos Tragas's fortune includes 17 properties, deposits in foreign and domestic banks as well as in bank vaults.
A little less than 10 gold bars were found in a foreign bank vault. , of unknown origin and without any official paper-documents confirming the legality of their acquisition.
The properties that were discovered are two in the State, two in Mykonos, four in Monaco, one in Paris, one in Saint Tropez. His estate also includes apartments in Washington, Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, Miami and one on the 5th Avenue Olympic Tower in Manhattan, etc.
Loans that have never been repaid
Apart from all this, it was revealed that loans taken by George Tragas from Greek banks (and especially from a bank that was already absorbed by another bank) were never repaid, as the loan amounts were repaid or the amount of 1/3 of the original was paid. loan and then the remaining amount of the loan agreement was repaid as paid.
The head of the Anti-Money Laundering Authority, former Deputy Attorney General of the Supreme Court Charalambos Vourliotis, before proceeding with the drawing up of the confiscation of the property, had requested the assistance of the , Monaco and other countries where bank accounts and real estate have been exposed.
Documents requested for companies' bank accounts and tax returns
Specifically, The Authority requested and transmitted from abroad data on the companies maintained by George Tragas, as well as their balance sheets and the statements of transactions of the joint Bank accounts maintained individually by him and the Traga couple abroad, after the year 2000 .
Financial data were also requested after 2000. This is because even if criminal offenses are proven, before the specific year they have become statute-barred.
At the same time, the Authority was asked by the Bank of Greece to seek the bank accounts maintained individually or together with other persons (joint accounts) by George Tragas, as requested the movement of these accounts.
Also, copies of the tax returns of George Tragas were requested from 2000 onwards, despite the fact that for some time afterwards, its tax headquarters had been transferred abroad.
(assets) despite the fact that in electronic form they exist only in recent years. As is well known, in previous years the statements of assets (“where did you come from”) were collected in the Supreme Court, which was initially responsible for these statements.
