|
Two municipal employees on Myconos were remanded in custody on the Aegean island Friday after testifying before a magistrate in connection with an extensive case of fraud in which the current and former mayors have been implicated. Myconos Mayor Thanasis Kousathanas-Megas, former Mayor Christos Veronis and two deputy mayors were released pending trial after posting bail payments ranging from 50,000 to 150,000 euros. They face a string of criminal charges including breach of faith and issuing fake documents. Another two employees of the municipal authority’s economic department were released while two more workers are also being probed in connection with what appears to be the large-scale embezzlement of municipal funding. The charges that have been brought against the officials relate to the apparent embezzlement of some 6 million euros between 2002 and 2009 but there are fears that this amount is just a fraction of a much larger total in funding swindled from municipal coffers. Investigating magistrate Maria Archontaki heard the testimony of all the suspects this week, nearly three years after the case first came to light when a complaint was lodged by a local hotelier who claimed to have been asked to fork out for a municipal levy he had already paid. The magistrate is expected to summon the managers of two bank branches on the island for questioning in connection with the same case over the coming days. Meanwhile, 11 local hotel owners face misdemeanor charges, according to sources. | 
