The independent Anti-Money Laundering Authority has issued a stark warning after reviewing asset declaration filings — commonly known as ‘pothen esches’ — for the first half of 2026. An in-depth audit revealed that more than 8,000 individuals legally required to submit declarations either failed to file them entirely or submitted blank forms — effectively declaring no assets or income sources.
8,650 Failures, €2 Million in Hidden Income
According to data published by the Authority, 8,650 obligated persons either did not file declarations or submitted empty ones. Of these, 430 were found to have concealed income with an average total value of €2 million. Specifically, 350 filed no declaration at all and were found to hold undeclared income averaging approximately €900,000. Meanwhile, among 650 who submitted blank declarations, 80 were identified as concealing unreported income valued at around €1 million on average.
Professions Most Represented Among Non-Compliant Filers
The Authority’s investigators identified local government officials, university staff, urban planners, doctors, and journalists as the groups most frequently failing to comply with asset disclosure requirements — and thus most commonly linked to undeclared income.
Legal Action Underway
On the instruction of Charalambos Vourliotis — President of the Anti-Money Laundering Authority and honorary Deputy Attorney General of the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) — the case files have been forwarded to two key institutions: the Hellenic Court of Audit, to determine financial liability and impose penalties, and the Athens First Instance Prosecutor’s Office, for criminal investigation.
The review remains ongoing, with audits now extending to additional individuals for the second half of 2026.