Corruption pervades public real estate

The investigation of the Hellenic Police into an assault case in early June in Maroussi, northern Athens, uncovered a corruption ring within the Hellenic Public Properties Co (HPPC), which manages and develops private real estate assets of the Greek state.

The victim of the hammer attack on the morning of June 3 was a 47-year-old man who works as a short-term leasing manager at HPPC.

The case was initially investigated by the Maroussi Police Station and then by the police's racketeering department.

The three persons listed as defendants are a 19-year-old, who is alleged to be the person who hit the victim, and two HPPC executives, who are accused of bribery. They were not arrested, with police submitting the case file to the prosecutor.

Apart from the recent beating in Maroussi, two more violent incidents are allegedly linked to corruption within the...