Μake us preferred on Google A senior Greek judicial official involved in the investigation that led to Pizza Fan’s owner’s detention is working with company executives to reopen the chain’s stores nationwide and protect the jobs of its 2,500 employees
Charalambos Vourliotis, a retired deputy prosecutor of Greece’s Supreme Court who heads the country’s independent anti-money laundering authority, has been holding meetings with company representatives to determine how the business can resume operations following the freezing of assets linked to the investigation.
Pizza Fan, one of Greece’s best-known pizza delivery chains, has been caught up in a major tax evasion investigation that has brought its operations to a halt. Its owner, Konstantinos Antaras, has been remanded in custody over allegations that the company used software to conceal transactions, hiding approximately 150 million euros in revenue and depriving the state of more than 35 million euros in taxes.
The closure of the chain’s roughly 110 stores has left 2,500 employees facing uncertainty over their jobs. That figure does not include the additional workers involved in delivering orders to customers.
When the anti-money laundering authority ordered the freezing of assets belonging to those implicated in the case, Vourliotis excluded the company’s payroll accounts so that employees could continue to be paid. He has since been in regular contact with company executives and representatives as the authority examines whether other bank accounts can be unfrozen to allow the stores to reopen and the business to meet its financial obligations. The discussions also concern the chain’s suppliers, some of whom are awaiting payment.
Before lifting any restrictions, Greece’s anti-money laundering authority plans to conduct a detailed review of Pizza Fan’s finances, including payroll costs, social security contributions, outstanding supplier invoices, operating expenses and projected sales revenue.
The unusual intervention reflects Vourliotis’ concern for the thousands of employees whose livelihoods have been put at risk by the alleged financial misconduct at the company.
Source: TA NEA
