A major investigation on the island of Rhodes into widespread corruption involving the state-run office that issues and approves building permits has uncovered another secondary ring that allegedly provided fake English language competency diplomas to private individuals.
English proficiency degrees are often a prerequisite for hiring and advancement in Greece’s voluminous civil service and affiliated public sector companies and organizations.
Internal affairs officers have reportedly collected evidence of a ring selling such fake academic certificates, mostly at the “proficiency” level, for as much as 1,200 euros a piece.
Two suspects involved in the diploma scam are a 58-year-old special adviser to the current and previous mayors of Rhodes, as well as the 49-year-old head of the building permit office on the popular Dodecanese Island.
Another man, 44, is accused of acting as the intermediary.
Seven individuals, including public servants, were arrested and charged with felony active bribery, money laundering and forgery, among others, in the corruption case swirling around the building permit office, essentially an urban planning authority. They were subsequently freed on bail by a local judge, a decision that generated heated criticism.
