Two high-ranking officials of the Catholic Church in Greece are being probed for embezzling €3 million after an investigation by the Anti-Money Laundering Authority.
ADVERTISEMENTAn investigation by Greece’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority has uncovered that funds from the Catholic Church were used for “sacred” investments in nightclubs. The probe has already led to the seizure of assets from five businessmen in the Peloponnese.
While searching for evidence of the irregularities in the disputed bank accounts of the Church, the authorities identified two senior priests involved, followed by the five businessmen.
Evidence suggests that millions of euros were embezzled from the accounts managed by the priests, with around €3 million reportedly “missing” from these Church accounts and ending up as investments in nightclubs.
Five nightclub owners in the Peloponnese have been accused of receiving the money believed to be laundered, prompting the head of Greece’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority to freeze their assets and bank accounts.
The money laundering uncovered during a random audit appears to have begun seven to eight years ago, with the most recent suspected illegal transfer of €50,000 taking place just a few days ago.
The case has been forwarded to the chief prosecutor’s office for criminal investigation, accusing the priests and nightclub owners of embezzlement and money laundering.
In response to the allegations, the Catholic Church said in a statement on Thursday that it was unaware of the priests’ actions.
“Following today’s press reports on embezzlement and money laundering, we declare that we have no official information on the issue. Therefore, we are awaiting an update from the relevant authorities so that we can take an official position on the matter,” it said.