Six suspects in a bribery scheme involving urban planning officials across the Athens region are led to court in Athens, Greece. [Intime News]
An internal “war” unfolded over the past two years inside the Kifissia planning department, the starting point of a corruption case under investigation, while local authorities, residents and civic groups fought a separate battle against overdevelopment they linked to Greece’s new building regulation.
As police conducted an investigation into bribery allegations involving planning officials, the municipality and local associations pursued efforts aimed at limiting construction projects in the suburb.
The dispute intensified in spring 2024, when sections of the Council of State referred challenges over the constitutionality of provisions of the regulation. Critics argued that combined building bonuses allowed larger and taller buildings.
Kifissia’s municipal council instructed its planning service to apply special presidential decrees protecting parts of the area. The decision was later annulled by the Decentralized Administration, which said the municipality lacked authority.
