Greece: Money Laundering

The Greek regime on money laundering tends to be unknown to most foreign experts. This is partly due to the language barrier and partly due to the admittedly minimal bibliography on the regulation of money laundering both within the country and outside it. The limited bibliography is emphasised by a total lack of recorded criminal cases for money laundering brought before the Greek courts. The aim of this article is to present and examine Greek legislation and policy on money laundering. The necessity for a dedicated legislative text, hotly disputed by some legal experts in Greece, and the two Greek attempts at compliance with the EU Money Laundering Directive will be examined, as will the political parameters of this issue. Their repercussions on the enforcement of money laundering legislation will be assessed.