Minister of State for Combating Corruption Panayiotis Nikoloudis (photo) on Friday ordered an investigation following reports that officials at Greece’s consulate in Istanbul have been issuing hundreds of visas illegally.

Nikoloudis asked inspectors to carry out the relevant checks to determine whether the allegations are true and, if so, who is to blame and to seize the assets of any public servants found to have committed offenses.

The action followed an inspection carried out on civil servants at the consulate between October 2011 and last September which pointed to criminal activities and widespread graft.