An Update on The (Real) Mykonos Mob

Jeff––Saturday

Eleven months ago, a brazen early morning mafia-style assassination took place a stone’s throw away from one of Athens’ chicest suburbs. The murder captivated Greece.  How could it not, for it possessed all the elements of a first-rate mystery thriller. 

Set against a background of brutal international gangs battling for power and wealth on the Greek island paradise of Mykonos, beatings of those who stood in their way (including  public servants), and an in-prison assassination silencing potential adverse testimony, it appeared that the  bold public assassination of Panagiotis Stathis––a civil engineer widely known for his involvement in Mykonos real estate projects––would trigger a long sought-after crack down on organized crime.

At the time, I wrote a blog titled, “Has the Mykonos I Warned About Come to Pass?” In it I addressed what was then publicly known.

With nearly a year having passed, I thought I’d check in on the status of the investigation and found two media articles that appear to sum up where things stand.  I have no independent knowledge of any of the reported facts, but they sure do add to the telling of the tale.

The first article appeared October 14, 2024 on the Albanian media company ZËRI’s website.  In it, ZËRI refers to “The Daily Mail” as its source for an extensive, detailed post titled, The Dark Side of Mykonos! The Murder of The Greek Topographer. I cannot vouch for its accuracy and leave it for you to decide what’s afoot.

As for where matters stand today, Ekathimerini, Greece’s newspaper of record, published an article earlier this week written by Yiannis Souliotis titled, “Murder Suspect Laundered Millions.” According to the article, the main suspect in the assassination of the surveyor had laundered more than 5 million euros over a three-year period.

Here is Ekathimerini’s update on the status of the investigation:

Investigators say more than €5 million was laundered over three years by the main suspect in the killing of Panagiotis Stathis, a well-known surveyor on the island of Mykonos. According to a detailed financial crimes report, the suspect allegedly used a network of eight shell companies to process and withdraw illicit funds.

The findings, compiled by the Financial and Economic Crime Unit (SDOE) following a judge’s order, suggest that the companies were fake, connected directly or indirectly to the suspect, and managed by figurehead owners. “These companies aim to unlawfully inject untaxed or unexplained funds into the banking system,” the SDOE report states.

Authorities say the suspect withdrew funds in phases: €290,000 in 2022, €3.8 million in 2023, and €1.3 million in 2024.

The case is linked to Stathis’ murder on July 2, 2024. Stathis, 55, was gunned down outside his company offices in Neo Psychiko, Athens, as he parked his electric BMW. The shooter, riding a scooter, fired 20 times using two Glock pistols. Stathis was a prominent figure in Mykonos, known for surveying and more recently for his real estate investments.

The homicide investigation concluded with prosecutors recommending trial for the 45-year-old suspected shooter and his 48-year-old accomplice, who allegedly helped dispose of the scooter shortly after the crime.

Police surveillance footage captured the shooter’s movements before and after the attack.

Both suspects were previously involved in the 2009 kidnapping of Greek shipping magnate Pericles Panagopoulos.

Despite extensive investigation, police have not officially identified who may have ordered the murder or their motive.

Why do I sense from the Ekathimeri article’s concluding two sentences that there are significant, nuanced thriller plot twists yet to come?

Stay tuned folks.

––Jeff