Phony ministry man nabbed on Santorini
Police have arrested a 33-year-old man on Santorini for allegedly conning businessmen out of tens of thousands of euros by pretending to be a senior Development Ministry official. The suspect, who was detained while driving his Mercedes on the popular Greek island, had presented himself as a Development Ministry general secretary and offered favors in exchange for kickbacks. Police said he had promised a 1.2-million-euro government grant to a local hotel owner in exchange for a 200,000-euro payment. However, the businessman notified the police, who arrested the suspect when he accepted a 7,500-euro down-payment for his services in marked bills. Police believe the unidentified man had approached several other businesspeople in different parts of the country.
