Greek NGO donation fraud investigation

Greek authorities are investigating the NGO Paidiki Chara following allegations of misappropriating millions of euros intended for children with serious illnesses. Financial audits covering the period between 2018 and 2026 indicate that over 5.8 million euros were credited to the organization’s accounts and the personal accounts of its president, Konstantinos Firinidis. In an audit of 34 families, approximately 3.94 million euros in donations were recorded, but only about 1.11 million euros were reportedly distributed to beneficiaries. Investigators are examining the management of these funds, including potential personal expenditures, transactions involving betting companies, and alleged manipulation of football matches. New allegations suggest the organization attempted to divert funds from a high profile national campaign for Panagiotis-Rafail Glossiotis, a child requiring gene therapy. While the official campaign managed by MDA Hellas successfully raised 3.68 million euros, investigators allege the Paidiki Chara network tried to intercept donations by directing supporters to their own accounts. Tactics reportedly included using different phone numbers and altering how parents were presented to donors to bypass established channels. The child's parents have clarified they did not authorize anyone to collect money in his name. Additionally, entrepreneur Dimitra Katsafadou has accused the NGO of using the images of deceased children to solicit donations. Katsafadou reported that when she questioned the status of a child featured in a campaign, the NGO owners claimed they used a photo from Google because they did not want to show the child's actual condition. Katsafadou also alleged the organization used emotional pressure to target wealthy individuals and claimed a family received only 34,000 euros when they were due 44,000 euros. The NGO owners have dismissed these claims, suggesting they stem from competition with other organizations.