It all started with KTEL Pella, where shareholders denounced the management and appealed to the National Transparency Authority.
“Zougla” had in fact revealed the existence of the conclusion drawn up by the EAD and had hosted a complaint by the KTEL shareholder Anastasios Chrysidis, who spoke of unfair practices which, as he claimed, had been taking place since 2009, both at his expense and at the expense of other shareholders of the organization, who are at risk of losing their buses.
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He had even denounced unprecedented methods against him, with the aim of bleeding him financially, as a result of which he was forced to flee to Germany as an immigrant in order to be able to support his family.
As it turns out, the catalyst is the conclusion of the National Transparency Authority, which finds a party of mismanagement at KTEL Pella.
The conclusion records arbitrariness and non-transparent procedures, which did not allow the way and critical details of the financial management of special contributions and financial support to become transparent to shareholders, public services, auditing authorities or traders.
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The way is opened for the criminal investigation of the case
As Mr. Chrysidis states in “Jungle”, the evidence that has emerged is catalytic and paves the way for the criminal investigation of the case.
At the same time, he mentions that similar problems have arisen in other KTEL buses of the country, while the office of the Secretary General of Transport, which has shown interest in the case, has already been informed.
“The investigation will be opened all over Greece, there are many colleagues in other KTEL who have similar problems” says Mr. Chrysidis, who at the same time expresses his question about the silence of POASYS, the Panhellenic Federation of Intercity Transports. As he points out, while they were aware of our complaints for a long time, they did not intervene.
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The main complaint to the EAD was that over time the management of KTEL Pellas has been practicing a discriminatory policy against the shareholders, regarding payments and routes, as a result of which many shareholders are unable to cover fuel costs or workshop costs and are excluded from the scheduling of routes , with consequences that even lead to extortion of the license.
The investigation by the National Transparency Authority – which is gradually expanding to other KTEL – revealed extensive mismanagement and illegal practices.
With the K1880/23 audit report, the National Transparency Authority confirmed the main body of the complaints, additionally attributing opaque and illegal financial management for the years 2015 to 2023, unfair practices, mismanagement of amounts collected together with the fee, a deficit of 437,000 euros that cannot be traced, inability to match receipts with cash, opaque transactions and grants, arbitrary and unfair lending to shareholders, responsibilities of civil servants for covering up illegal actions of the administration, etc. and numerous irregularities for receiving financial aid from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.
Fake documents
The conclusion of the National Transparency Authority assigns serious responsibility to the management of KTEL Pella for the aid it has received, in addition to the compensation for the movement of special groups (students, refugees, etc.):
● 446,335 euros from the Special Account for the Infirm KTEL (130,000 euros in 2016, 102,000 euros in 2017, 101,000 euros in 2018, 76,000 euros in 2020 and 37,400 euros in 2021). The revenues of 2016 were used for the building on El Street. Venizelou in Giannitsa.
● 483,202 euros in the light of EU regulations and national resources in the context of aid to affected businesses (COVID): 268,246 euros in 2021 “to deal with a rapid increase in the price of fuel” and 214,956 euros in 2023, in addition to the refundable advance aid scheme.
● 184,800 euros in April 2023 as an advance payment for a cited business plan with a budget of 766,502 euros plus VAT (see ADA 904Φ465ΧΘΥ-ITΨ), for the construction of vehicle service facilities (among others a petrol station, petrol station, bus repair shop and overnight parking for 35 buses ) on a privately owned plot of land in Giannitsa.
For the latter amount, the National Transparency Authority notes that it was disbursed with a forged critical supporting document, as a copy of the work commencement certificate was found in duplicate in the aid files, with alleged protocol number ΠΚΜ2020015 but with different dates 12.12.2021 and 12.12.2022, while the alleged final signatory of the certificate assured the EAD in writing that KTEL’s request was never answered, stressing that a prior establishment permit, pre-approvals and building permit were required – for which until this summer no request had even been submitted.
In total, KTEL Pella for the years 2016 to 2023 received 1,114,337 euros (668,002 from the state budget and 446,335 euros from the Special Account for the Weakest KTEL and additional support of 1,251,520.02 euros for the movement of special population groups, a total of 2.366 million . euros and an additional 277,625.86 euros as a refundable deposit.
Arbitrariness and illegalities
With strict legal language, the EAD records arbitrariness and non-transparent procedures, which did not allow the manner and critical details of the financial management of special contributions and financial aid. For example, the special contributions of article 13 of Law 2963/2001 are not initially deposited in the required special separate bank accounts, they were opened with a long delay on 17.10.2016 and reliable tracking of inflows and outflows is not possible.
At the same time, extraordinary circumstances and cash needs are systematically invoked to consume special contributions or they are used for reasons that… did not involve a real cash outflow (e.g. capitalization of debts of the Sole Proprietorship, reduction of bad debts, creation of provisions), etc. or caused a reduction in assets (e.g. claims/debts of third parties to the S.A. and the transfer of resources from special contributions of Law 2963/2001 to the subsidiary tourism business without a legal basis!).
An unorthodox process of recognition-clearing of expenses for each management period, expenses objectively inconsistent with the financial situation of KTEL S.A. are also pointed out. and many more that would prevent an auditor from approving the financial statements.
The EAD points out that it has identified “improper recording of critical fundamental financial figures for a number of years in the balance sheets”, especially regarding the appearance of reduced losses in relation to the real and positive capital structure, illegal minutes in procedures for applying for and receiving financial support etc., without insurance or tax awareness, or invoking provisions that had been… repealed (e.g. in the case of a completed project in Giannitsa). And finally, illegal execution of a transport project by KTEL SA. from the tourism subsidiary PELLA TOURS M.EPE.
The National Transparency Authority directly accuses the management of KTEL SA. prefecture of Pella for the operation of the headquarters, bus arrivals-departures and passenger service station without a license for a number of years, in Edessa (from 1.3.2008 onwards/at least until the time of inspection), for illegal installation of a liquid fuel tank with a bus refueling pump in the area of the same station, etc. It also points to the lack of measures for the safe execution of public passenger transport services, e.g. regarding the entry and exit of buses at departure-arrival stations, parking or agencies, regarding the movement of pedestrians, passengers and staff within privately owned service facilities, etc.
The conclusion of the National Transparency Authority is not limited only to the actions of the KTEL of Pella Prefecture, but attributes a faulty-incomplete, inefficient exercise of the supervisory and regulatory role of the state, with the main points being the oversights, misdemeanors, omissions of competent/co-competent services in central and regional level, lack-omission of effective monitoring of performance/utilization of special contributions, while attempting to limit responsibilities at the level of executive management and co-competent organizational units of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport for the formation of a transparent and applicable set of rules.
There are also findings of involvement of public officials (possible cover-up of “illegalities” by KTEL SA) of the relevant Department of Transport and Communications of the region.
See the previous complaint to “Jungle” by the shareholder Anastasios Chrysidis:
A “bombshell” complaint by a shareholder of KTEL Pella: “They take our buses with illegal methods”
Mr. Anastasios Chrysidis makes a very serious complaint against the president and the members of the Board of Directors of KTEL Pella in “Zougla”.
He, a shareholder and owner of a bus in the specific KTEL, speaks of unfair practices that he claims have been taking place since 2009, both to the detriment of both himself and other shareholders of the organization, who are at risk of losing their buses.
He also talks about unprecedented methods against him, with the aim of bleeding him financially, as a result of which he was forced to flee to Germany as an immigrant to be able to support his family, as he did!
At the same time, he reveals that he is in possession of the 800-page report of the National Transparency Authority (NDA), which confirms illegal financial management and unfair practices by the president and the Board of Directors. of the Organization.
The complaint to the EAD
Mr. Chrysidis filed a complaint with the National Transparency Authority nine years ago. He himself, although since 1996 he has been a driver and owner of a bus in KTEL of Pella, saw the efforts of a lifetime go to waste, as he was financially ruined.
After a long-term investigation, the conclusion of the EAD, as he claims, confirms his complaints about non-transparent and illegal financial management, by the administration that took over after 2009, mismanagement of amounts collected together with the fee, lack of an amount of 437,000 euros that is not traced , inability to match receipts, arbitrary and unfair shareholder lending as well as the involvement of public servants for whom the attribution of any responsibilities is being investigated.
According to the complaint to the National Transparency Authority, there were many shareholders who found themselves in a financial impasse. Some sold their buses at humiliating prices, some simply gave up, while Mr. Chrysidis was forced to emigrate to Germany to get back on his feet and be able to support his family.
Speaking to “Zougla”, the 58-year-old Mr. Chrysidis, today, calls for the intervention of the state and the judiciary while announcing the publication in the very near future of the conclusion of the EAD, which he claims is a trap for the current administration.
Finally, he complains that similar schemes at the expense of shareholders also exist in other KTEL companies in the country, announcing that new revelations will follow.
Hear what he complains about in ‘Jungle’
Source: www.zougla.gr
