Rhodes Scandal: The Three Complaints That Exposed the Architects’ Corruption

At least three complaints reached the Internal Affairs Service over the past year, detailing the actions of members of a corrupt network in Rhodes. As revealed by newsit.gr, the first complaint was sent in the summer of 2024, while the last one arrived just days before law enforcement raided the offices and homes of those involved on the island of the Dodecanese. The group of seven now facing charges in court believed they would remain undetected forever. The five members of the municipal planning department, along with the civil engineer and architect considered the leader of this criminal organization, had established a network in Rhodes to extort many property owners. Their fees ranged from €5,000 to as high as €100,000 in some cases. Their lavish lifestyles, inconsistent with their legal salaries, sparked discussions on the island, with many claiming to be victims of the network. Consequently, some decided to file complaints, sending anonymous or named letters to Internal Affairs. The first letter reached the anti-corruption unit’s offices on Kifissias Avenue in Marousi on June 14, 2024. It specifically named four members of the planning department and the detained architect, describing in detail the network’s operations. Another complaint six months later came from an individual engineer on Rhodes, accusing a planning department member of unjust treatment. A final anonymous complaint in March 2025 exposed two more officials, referred to as ‘flashy’ and ‘greedy,’ further detailing their illicit activities.