Greek Art Dealer Bailed as Antiquities and Forgery Case Widens

08:29 25/3/2026 - Πηγή: iEfimerida

Prominent Athens gallery owner Giorgos Tsagarakis has been released on a €50,000 bond after denying a series of felony charges involving the trafficking of looted antiquities and the industrial-scale distribution of forged paintings.

The 51-year-old art dealer, a well-known appraiser on the Greek television program "Cash or Trash,"

faces five distinct felony counts, including embezzlement of ancient monuments and grand fraud.

Following a marathon testimony, an examining magistrate imposed strict restrictive measures: Mr. Tsagarakis is barred from leaving the country, must report monthly to police, and is strictly prohibited from possessing or trading any antiquities.

He may only deal in paintings if they are accompanied by a verified certificate of authenticity.

The investigation, led by Greece’s "Organized Crime Division," was triggered in early March by an anonymous tip and a controversial social media post by Mr. Tsagarakis showcasing a gold-plated 1745 Gospel from Venice.

During subsequent raids in Kolonaki and Elliniko, the "Greek FBI" seized over 300 paintings—of which the National Gallery has deemed only seven to be genuine—along with four ancient icons and more than €200,000 in undeclared cash.

"I called the archaeology service myself so the Gospel could be examined," Mr. Tsagarakis told the court, arguing that the manuscript was legally acquired from a foreign associate.

Regarding the warehouse full of artwork, he maintained that the pieces were "family heirlooms" inherited from his late parents and were never intended for commercial sale.

The case took a new turn Monday when a private individual filed a lawsuit against Mr. Tsagarakis, alleging he was sold a forged painting by the renowned Greek artist Dimitris Mytaras.

Authorities are now cross-referencing gallery ledgers with monastery theft records to determine the origin of the seized religious artifacts. A female employee also arrested in the raid was released without conditions.

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