Firms accused of overcharging state hospitals by millions
An anti-corruption magistrate is to begin questioning suspects accused of defrauding Greek taxpayers out of millions of euros by selling overpriced medical equipment to two state hospitals.
An investigation by prosecutors Antonis Eleftherianos and Yiannis Stevis has led to charges being issued in connection to the transactions, which took place between 2005 and 2009. The two companies in question are alleged to have bough the equipment, mostly pacemakers, via shell companies in Cyprus rather than directly from the foreign suppliers to justify driving up the price of the goods, which was sometimes twice or three times what it should have been.
The prosecutors’ report says that one of the firms overcharged the state hospitals by some 20 million euros during the period in question. The other company is accused of engaging in fraud of similar value.
