Claims that residency permits granted in return for money

Interior Minister Nicos Nouris confirmed on Monday that investigations are underway into allegations that residency permits were granted in return for payments.

Local media reported that a female lawyer, who was arrested last year, partnered with an associate of a government official and visas were approved for €2,300.

Allegations of shady deals whereby previously rejected residency permits for foreign nationals were later approved in return for payments, were reported by local media.

On Monday afternoon in parliament, Interior Minister Nicos Nouris was asked about the issue and confirmed that investigations are ongoing, noting that: “I consider that there are more than eleven [such cases].”

Daily Phileleftheros reported that an internal investigation was launched after Nouris was alerted to the situation by a man – who reportedly knows the interior minister – and had called to find out why a visa extension was rejected for his 86-year-old mother’s foreign domestic worker when a visa was approved for someone else in a similar situation.

It is alleged that approvals were later granted to cases that Nouris himself had initially rejected.

The female lawyer was arrested on fraud charges but has not yet been prosecuted and reportedly continues to represent clients in court.