The aggressive advertising campaign by alternative power suppliers appears to be paying off, as the seven companies vying to curtail the dominance of Public Power Corporation have recently seen their popularity grow from near-zero to notable levels.
Official data by the Operator of the Electricity Market (LAGIE) show Elpedison, Heron, Protergia, Green, Volterra Watt+Volt and NRG Trading have raised their combined market share from 3.7 percent in January 2015 to 5.14 percent in December, with a further rise reported last month.
In 2012 an alternative power supplier Energa – Hellas Power was found to have embezzled of customers payments and property tax payments and to have caused damage to the state in the region of 250 ml euro. 19 executives of the company were brought to trial in 2014, accused of pocketing a staggering amount from electric bills, without sending the money to the state. One of the reasons why the case is remembered, is because the state chose not to attend the trial drawing angry reaction from the then opposition party SYRIZA, who said hat the government of Samaras “creates a major political issue, because its spokesman and Minister of Finance Stournaras didn’t attend the trial of those who embezzled and misappropriated according to the indictment more than 250 million euros of public funds”
In 2015 the defendants said that they are willing to return the sum of 103 million euros from company’s accounts that have been frozen since February 2012, in order to qualify for lighter penal treatment.
Zoe Constantopoulou opened a parliamentary investigation in the case during her brief period in office, to examine the handling of the case and identify government omissions and ministerial responsibilities.
