Greek authorities say they have charged the head of a demining charity, his wife and seven other people with fraud and money laundering involving USD 12 million in public funding.
In today's statement, police say the unnamed Greek NGO received the money between 2000 and 2004 from the Foreign Ministry to clear mines in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lebanon and Iraq. The suspects include three serving Greek diplomats.
Police allege the entire sum was illegally obtained as the NGO did not meet official funding conditions and that no progress reports were submitted. They also say Greek embassies in countries where the demining was carried out did not monitor implementation and that supervision of the NGO's expenses by the foreign ministry was "non-existent."
The NGO head has been jailed pending trial.
