Property probe targets judges
Authorities are investigating the suspected involvement of 11 judges in a criminal ring believed to have profited to the tune of millions of euros by illegally obtaining the rights to plots of land and buildings facing auction. Following the analysis of thousands of documents found at the homes of the suspected members of the ring, 10 legal briefs reportedly implicating the judges in trial-fixing have been forwarded to a prosecutor handling the case. Authorities believe the property scam was run by a 55-year-old civil engineer with the help of 10 key members, including four lawyers, a former judge and a former cleric who was embroiled in another trial-fixing scandal in 2004. The ex-cleric is believed to have played a key role in the racket, securing favorable verdicts for people facing trial in exchange for donations.
