Based in Greece, Sotiris joined us for a five-day in-person illicit finance and digital security training in 2018 as a Bertha Foundation Fellow. He found our training transformed his journalism. We stayed in touch, responding to requests for support and information as Sotiris developed a range of stories over the years.

In November 2024,he updated us on his latest investigation published by Reporters United, which used the tools and insights gained from that workshop in London to expose a network of finance companies quietly transferring huge numbers of properties from indebted Greek households to Ireland. They were able to uncover this complex system by analysing company accounts and collecting data from housing and corporate records across multiple sources.

His story made waves. Members of the Greek government raised questions with the party leadership on steps needed to tackle a system that allowed for rents to rise astronomically for ordinary people. The findings indicated that properties are often reclaimed by the banks that initiate the auctions. Now these officials are outside the government, having been dismissed by the party leadership. Importantly, indebted readers also started contacting the reporters to share their stories. This marked a huge step forward, given the stigma and trauma surrounding debt in Greece (everywhere actually).

The story was shortlisted for the 2025 Sigma Awards for global data journalism.

Sotiris works as data editor of the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ), a US-registered non-profit that works with journalists and media partners in Africa. He is also data editor for the Greek investigative network Reporters United. He was also selected as a 2025–2026 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.