Μake us preferred on Google The first five of 10 defendants in the Pizza Fan case were released under restrictive conditions after completing their testimony, while proceedings continued Tuesday with the remaining five defendants.
The five — three accountants, a software developer and the owner of a Pizza Fan franchise in Nea Ionia, a northern Athens suburb — were released following an agreement between the investigating judge and prosecutor.
Depending on the defendant, restrictions imposed include mandatory appearances at a police station and bail of 5,000 euros.
The judicial proceedings are continuing with testimony from the five remaining defendants.
The n attorney representing one of those released, said the defense had challenged what it considered legal, substantive and technical gaps in the case file during a lengthy testimony.
“We highlighted all the critical legal and substantive gaps that, in our view, existed in the case file, as well as technical gaps, because the algorithm operated differently from the way it was presented,” the lawyer said.
He said his client was subsequently released.
Tax Authority Investigates Possible Leak
Meanwhile, Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) is investigating whether any of its employees were involved in an alleged leak of information ahead of a tax audit of Pizza Fan.
The inquiry follows allegations concerning the activities of the company’s owner and associates.
On the orders of AADE Governor Giorgos Pitsilis, the authority’s Internal Affairs Directorate sent a written request Monday, Oct. 26, to the relevant divisions of the Hellenic Police seeking information about the possible involvement of specific AADE employees.
The tax authority asked whether police investigators had uncovered or possessed evidence indicating that officials may have alerted those under investigation about an impending tax inspection of the restaurant business, whose officials face allegations of tax evasion.
The request follows references contained in recorded conversations between people implicated in the case.
According to those conversations, the people subject to the investigation had allegedly been informed in advance that a tax audit of the business was imminent.
