The founder of Pizza Fan, one of Greece's largest pizza chains, has been arrested along with 22 others on charges of run...

The founder of Pizza Fan, one of Greece's largest pizza chains, has been arrested along with 22 others on charges of running a criminal organisation that allegedly hid €150 million in revenue from tax authorities over a decade. Hellenic Police say the scheme ran from 2016 to 2026, costing the state more than €35 million in unpaid taxes. The alleged method was built into the company's own order software: selected orders, chosen by an algorithm, could be processed as a "gift," meaning no receipt was issued and the sale went unrecorded. Staff programmers developed the system and it also allowed ring members to track each store's real revenue and calculate how much was being kept off the books. The 68-year-old founder and the other 22 defendants were arrested in coordinated raids across Attica and Thessaloniki. A further 109 people, mostly franchise store managers across Greece, are named in the case file. Charges include directing a criminal organisation, tax evasion exceeding €150,000, and aggravated money laundering. Police seized €1.2 million in cash found at the founder's villa, along with 52 computers, 6 luxury cars, 3 motorcycles, and 92 luxury watches and pieces of jewellery. All assets belonging to those involved have been frozen, and 108 tax reports covering 2023 to 2026 have been forwarded to tax authorities. Pizza Fan, which employs more than 2,500 people and pays over €36 million in wages annually, called the case a "misunderstanding" tied to promotional free products it regularly offered customers. The company said it is cooperating with all authorities and is focused on protecting its staff and franchisees. No one has been convicted. The investigation was reportedly triggered after an employee complained that fewer work hours had been declared to national insurance than they had actually worked. #Greece #TaxEvasion #PizzaFan