Greek authorities are continuing marathon court hearings for 13 suspects accused of running a nationwide fuel-pump tampering scheme that allegedly cheated drivers out of tens of millions of euros using illegal software.
So far, eight suspects have given testimony before an investigating judge. Four have been ordered held in pretrial detention by joint decision of the judge and prosecutor.
The remaining four were released under restrictive conditions, including regular reporting to police. Some were also ordered to post bail of 10,000 euros.
The process is expected to continue into the early morning hours, as five more suspects — including the alleged ringleader — are still due to testify.
Police said the illegal software was installed at 20 fuel stations across different regions of Greece. Investigators estimate the network siphoned off about 25 million euros over the past five years, a figure that reflects losses suffered by consumers.
According to police, the software allowed members of the ring to access fuel pumps and the official fuel inflow-outflow monitoring system. This enabled stations to dispense less fuel than what was shown on the pump display, with operators pocketing the difference.
Prosecutors have filed a raft of serious charges, including:
- Forming a criminal organization
- Aggravated fraud against the state and private individuals
- Manipulation of the fuel inflow-outflow control system
- Money laundering
Additional charges include:
- Illegal possession of weapons
- Drug trafficking
The case is one of the largest fuel fraud investigations in recent years and comes as authorities step up efforts to combat organized crime and protect consumers amid high fuel prices and broader cost-of-living pressures.