A 36-year-old man who has been implicated in a criminal ring that stole cancer drugs from state hospitals, among other sources, has testified that the group, which has been dubbed the “medicines Mafia”, was planning to establish a “Research and Development Department” of a pharmaceutical firm to conduct clinical research on new medicines that were being planned by large pharmaceutical companies, so as to “save patients”.
The man’s father is believed to be a key div in the case, and police found valuable jewels and anabolic drugs at his home in Pefki.
Over 20 people have been arrested in the case.
The man revealed the plan during interrogation on 23 May, after police found hundreds of notes in his home in Pefki, on the outskirts of Athens
The notes refer to many companies, such as CE Corporate Logistics and Neofarm, and reveal that the criminal ring had collaborators in Cyprus, Italy, FYROM, Kosovo, Portugal and Mozambique.
In addition, Greek authorities have found Swiss bank accounts related to the ring.
Based on the evidence found in Pefki, judicial authorities are focusing their attention on a company named Pharmagen.
“I know this company, which is headquartered in Skopje and was created in 2011, I think. It was acting as the representative of Greek companies in Skopje, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, and Croatia. The aim of my father, from what he told me, was to create a research and development department, to conduct clinical studies on various new drugs that would enter production through large companies. A space had already been bought for that purpose,” the 36-year-old testified.
The man said that the notes found at the Pefki residence were dictated by the father and that he himself had no substantial participation.
Vasilis Lambropoulos
