Yannis Panagopoulos of GSEE Investigated for Serious Crimes

Yannis Panagopoulos, President of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), is under investigation for two serious crimes: embezzlement and money laundering. The probe follows a report by Greece’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority (Hellenic Financial Intelligence Unit), led by former Areios Pagos Deputy Prosecutor Charalambos Vourliotis. Bank accounts belonging to Panagopoulos—as well as six individuals and six companies allegedly involved—have been frozen. Two properties have also been seized. The authority’s findings have already been submitted to the Athens First Instance Prosecutor’s Office for formal investigation. According to sources, Panagopoulos allegedly embezzled massive sums earmarked for vocational training and education programs—primarily funded by national resources, with only minor EU contributions. The fraud reportedly involved coordinated actions among the seven individuals and associated companies. The investigation focused on over €73 million in funding received between 2020 and 2025. Authorities allege Panagopoulos awarded public contracts directly—or via tenders—to specific firms and intermediary companies, which systematically cycled funds among themselves as project contractors. Notably, many of these contracts were publicly listed on Greece’s transparency platform, Diavgeia.