Thessaloniki: 74 People Face Trial Over Alleged Fake Disability Certifications

Seventy-four people, including doctors, administrative employees at disability-certification centers and private individuals, have been sent to trial in Thessaloniki over alleged fake disability certifications.

The misdemeanor case was postponed and is expected to be heard in January. According to the indictment, those involved allegedly raised patients’ disability percentages illegally so they could qualify for disability pensions or benefits. Payments reportedly reached as much as 2,000 euros for each case.

The case emerged in December 2021 after an investigation by the Northern Greece Internal Affairs police. Authorities monitored the people involved from May through December of that year and said they used code words when discussing cases in which disability ratings were to be increased.

The current trial concerns misdemeanor offenses. A separate trial covering felony charges is expected to take place later this month at the Thessaloniki Three-Member Court of Appeals for Felonies.

The doctors deny the allegations. They argue that later committees reviewed the same patients and, in several cases, assigned them even higher disability ratings.