A gynaecologist from Heraklion and a colleague from Chania, were arrested on Monday, January 20, as part of an investigation into an illegal adoption ring uncovered last August.
This comes after Australian parents were unable to bring their newborns home after a well-known fertility clinic in Crete, which uses surrogacy, was raided by police due to claims of human trafficking and fraud.
Nine newborns – including a number of Australian babies – were detained by the Greek government in a high-security neonatal ward in Crete’s Chania Hospital after the Mediterranean Fertility Institute was raided by federal police on accusations of human trafficking and fraud.
Through the utilisation of DNA testing for identification, the babies were eventually returned to their biological parents.
The Heraklion-based doctor supposedly linked to the scandal was arrested while working and discreetly transferred to Chania for questioning. There, he was initially brought before the prosecutor and then the investigating judge.
He has been given until Wednesday, January 22, to give a statement, during which time he will remain in custody.
The second arrest involved a colleague from Chania, who also has until Wednesday to provide a statement.
Both individuals face criminal charges related to their alleged involvement in a human trafficking ring, which includes egg theft, virtual embryo transfers and the distribution of genetic material.
The Heraklion gynaecologist’s lawyers have denied the charges, issuing a statement claiming their client is innocent. They argued that the arrest was unnecessary and that their client has not committed any criminal acts.
“It is tragic when a person is slandered, and when he is solemnly acquitted in court, we only remember his arrest and the shadow it unjustly cast on him,” the statement said.
The lawyers expressed confusion over the arrest process, emphasising that their client has always been available to authorities.
