The businessman arrested on Saturday, August 24 in Larisa for counterfeiting and possession of weapons was found to be in custody after pleading to the interrogator.

After a lengthy testimony that began in the morning and was completed at noon, the businessman was taken to Larissa Detention Centre as he was deemed privileged with the agreement of the interrogator and prosecutor, larissanet.gr reported.

The businessman in his apology reportedly denied the charges and spoke of “cooperation” with the complainant.

Businessman borrowed 50,000 euros and paid more than 300,000

It will be recalled that a complaint had previously been filed by a Greek, according to which, in the year 2020, due to financial difficulties he faced with his business, he borrowed from the perpetrator the sum of 5,000 euros, agreeing, as monthly interest, a rate of 20% of the principal, ie 1,000 euros every month, until the repayment of the amount. Then, in the following months, the victim paid him, in meetings between them, a total of 4,000 euros as interest, failing to repay the aforementioned amount of money.

Subsequently, in the following period of time until the spring of 2021, the victim, in order to expand his business activity, borrowed from the perpetrator, initially the sum of 15,000 euros and then 30,000 euros, with new usurious terms, namely, with monthly payment of interest at a rate of 10% on the money lent to him, i.e. at first 2,000 euros and then 5,000 euros each month. In the following months, the victim paid the perpetrator a total of 39,000 euros in interest.

Then, according to the allegations, in the following period until May of the current year (2024), due to the inability of the victim to pay the money demanded by the perpetrator as interest and the amount of money due, the perpetrator, with repeated verbal threats against his physical integrity, forced the victim to the following acts:

• to purchase two vehicles, for use by the offender and a friend of his, by paying part of their monetary value
• to provide insurance for the offender’s wife in his business, without her working there, paying the insurance contributions
• to pay the offender in instalments at their meetings, various sums of money
• to lease () a total of 5 private cars, which were used by the perpetrator and a friend of his, paying various sums of money, while in addition, he paid a sum of money as a debt to him from a company for damage caused to one of the leased cars.

The perpetrator, from this illegal action, obtained from the victim the total sum of 231,000 euros in cash, as well as the sum of 72,333 euros, coming from the provision of services, through leasing of the above mentioned cars, etc.

This was followed by an organized police operation, in the context of which, in the morning hours of yesterday, Saturday, in the city of Larissa, in a prearranged meeting, the perpetrator received from the victim the marked amount of 1,000 euros, as part of the money demanded (interest) that the victim managed to collect and then he was immobilized by the police officers.