The exposure of a major criminal bribery ring within the Attica building authorities has triggered rapid political developments. At noon on Monday, June 8, 2026, the Secretary General for Spatial Planning and the Urban Environment, Efthymios Bakogiannis, submitted his resignation, which was immediately accepted by the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou.
Although he himself cites personal reasons and a desire to return to his academic duties in his letter, reports directly link his resignation to the ongoing investigations by the authorities. Specifically, authorities are examining possible connections and relationships between individuals involved and people associated with the former secretary-general. However, it should be noted that, so far, there is no official link, nor has any evidence been released to substantiate Mr. Bakoyannis’s personal involvement.
Bakogiannis's Letter of Resignation
In the letter he sent to political leaders, Efthymios Bakogiannis states:
«With this letter, I wish to submit my resignation from the position of Secretary-General […] for personal reasons and now that an important chapter of my long tenure has come to a close, I am now able to return to my academic duties. I will continue to serve the public interest in every way possible, convinced that the challenges facing Spatial Planning require constant self-criticism, transparency, and accountability.».
The timeline of the dismantling and the «X-ray» of the ring
The case that led to the political turmoil involves a structured criminal organization of urban planning and Decentralized Administration officials, with confirmed activity dating back to at least October 2025. So far, six people have been arrested (in Galatsi, Kifissia, and Marousi), while the case file also includes 30 additional individuals, among whom are employees of the municipalities of Nea Ionia and Mykonos, an official from the Labor Inspectorate, as well as 26 private engineers and businesspeople.
The countdown began with anonymous complaints in the summer and fall of 2024, which brought the Building Departments in Kifissia, Agia Paraskevi, and Markopoulo under the scrutiny of the Internal Affairs Directorate. The members of the ring, exploiting their positions and their participation in key Architectural and Urban Planning Councils, «regularized» unauthorized construction and issued permits without charge.
The leaders of the organization are reportedly a Technical Advisor to the Decentralized Administration of Attica (a former executive of the Kifissia Urban Planning and Development Authority) who oversaw the irregular procedures under the guise of «legality,» and his wife, Secretary General of the Municipality of Galatsi, who was described as the «key» to approaching and influencing officials.
Encrypted conversations, «coffee meetings,» and the arrest in the act
To protect themselves, the ring members used encrypted online applications and avoided discussing money over the phone. In their conversations, they used code words, referring to bribes as:
«Coffee»
«Tools»
«Plans» ή «Little Notes»
Money handovers took place exclusively in «secure» locations, such as inside vehicles or in parking lots. The ring’s downfall was sealed at noon last Friday at a café in Ilioupoli, where Internal Affairs officers arrested a private engineer in the act as he was handing the ringleader an envelope containing 3,000 euros.
As a result of subsequent searches of homes and offices, a total of 334,895 euros, computers, notes, and a safe-deposit box lease. The arrested individuals face serious felony charges (participation in and leadership of a criminal organization, money laundering, bribery) and have been summoned to appear before the investigating judge on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
