Everyone is welcome at the church fete in the small Greek village of Archanes in Iraklio. Everyone, that is, apart from the so-called 'Financial Crimes Squad'. The team of tax-inspectors entered the village in the light of day to conduct raids on businesses for tax code violations... the people were not happy. As ekathermini notes [5], the villagers heckled and threatened them with force if they did not leave the village. This is not the first time the government's enforcers have run afoul of the people; last year, inspectors were held captive by disgruntled locals... We are sure this is just a storm in a teacup and that the recovery is ticking along nicely in Greece - how else does one explain their surging bond and stock prices?
A team of inspectors from the Financial Crimes Squad (SDOE), was on Tuesday heckled by locals at a village in Crete and coerced to leave, before a one-month closure order was issued against the owner of a taverna where the team was intimated, local media reported.
The SDOE team turned up at the village of Archanes in Iraklio as locals were celebrating their patron saint with a church fete.
According to reports, local residents took offense that the tax inspectors chose that day to conduct raids on businesses for tax code violations.
Their displeasure became more than apparent among a group of people at a large local taverna, who heckled the tax officers and threatened them with force if they did not leave the village.
Last summer SDOE inspectors were prevented from leaving the Saronic island of Hydra by disgruntled locals. Police had to be sent from Athens to ensure their safe passage back to the mainland.
Following Tuesday's incident in Crete, the Finance Ministry issued orders for the taverna at which the intimidation was centered to be shut down for one month and for a complete audit to be conducted of its finances.