Minister moves in on large-scale tax evaders

The head of a new ministry created by the government to crack down on corruption is preparing a barrage of inspections on wealthy Greeks who are unable to justify the source of their income, Kathimerini understands.

Panayiotis Nikoloudis, the former head of Greece’s anti-money laundering agency, has been scouring several lists of wealthy savers, including the so-called Lagarde list of Greeks with Swiss bank accounts, but is said to be focusing on a list of 100 account-holders suspected of tax evasion and money laundering. The 100 names include several entrepreneurs with one saver said to have deposits of 200 million euros while hardly declaring any income, Kathimerini understands.

In a bid to simplify the process, officials are unifying the Lagarde list, the list of 100 and several other lists into one.

In his new role as Minister of State for Combating Corruption, Nikoloudis is expected to use his insights into the use of tax havens and offshore firms to swoop in on large-scale evaders. The minister’s team has sought information from authorities in other countries, including Germany and Luxembourg, in a bid to collar Greeks who spirited their money abroad without paying taxes in Greece. Inspections are in the cards with officials ready to seize assets and freeze bank accounts, according to sources.