Parapolitika.gr brought today’s top political story to light with its revelation about Nikos Bounakis, who serves as deputy in PASOK’s Agricultural Development and Food Sector, and his connection to the OPEKEPE case and declarations of public land at Lake Karla.
He denies that his consulting company’s Declaration Reception Center, Proactive.gr, has involvement in any irregular subsidies, stating that “the centers have neither the authority nor the ability to verify lease agreements or other documents submitted by producers, which are accepted by OSDE, issued by AADE and verified and paid by OPEKEPE.” However, he confirmed that he filed an application for 2022-23 (notably, Christos Boukorou’s complaint mentions a center in Crete that made these declarations during 2022-25), and that payment from OPEKEPE was made “normally” as “all necessary documents” were declared.
Specifically, in his letter to parapolitika.gr, Mr. Bounakis noted that “his company’s center has accepted and registered in the Integrated Management and Control System (OSDE) an application from one (1) producer for 2022-2023. For the application to be accepted in OSDE, the producer submitted to the center a real estate lease agreement from the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), which includes the name and tax number of lessee and lessor, Property Identity Number (ATAK), meaning it was declared with all necessary elements, which OPEKEPE also accepted and paid the producer normally.”
New Democracy also issued a related announcement about Nikos Bounakis. As ND states, Mr. Bounakis owes explanations for his confession regarding public lands at Lake Karla, ND says regarding the OPEKEPE scandal.
New Democracy Press Office announcement on Nikos Bounakis and public land declarations at Lake Karla
Shocking is the public confession of Mr. Nikos Bounakis, former parliamentary candidate for Heraklion of PASOK-KINAL and today deputy of the Agricultural Development & Food Sector, close friend and associate of Mr. Nikos Androulakis, on ANTENNA’s main news bulletin following a parapolitika.gr report, that his own center is the one declaring public lands at Lake Karla!
At the very moment when PASOK and other opposition parties accuse the Government of the alleged OPEKEPE “scandal,” a significant PASOK official in Crete is involved to the absolute degree as owner of a center, declaring public lands at Lake Karla in Thessaly in the name of beneficiaries who have no connection to that specific location, seeking to obtain illegal subsidies.
The PASOK official involved in the case must provide explanations for a series of issues:
How many years have the hectares of land in Thessaly been declared by the center on behalf of farmers who had no connection to that specific area?
How much money have they received in total?
Why didn’t he, as he should have, do something to prevent the illegality?
Does PASOK agree with the actions of its deputy secretary in the Agricultural Policy Sector?
We await the apology of the official opposition and personally from the President of PASOK-KINAL, Mr. Nikos Androulakis.
The rest will be addressed in the Parliamentary Investigative Committee starting next Tuesday.
The truth must shine, however harsh it may sometimes be.
Bounakis responds to parapolitika.gr OPEKEPE report: One application made with all necessary documents
Nikos Bounakis gave his response to the parapolitika.gr report regarding potential involvement in the OPEKEPE case. The deputy secretary of PASOK’s Agricultural Policy Sector states he has no involvement in irregular subsidies, while mentioning one application submitted by his company’s Declaration Reception Center to OPEKEPE in 2022, which was made “with all necessary documents, with the Organization paying the producer normally.” “The centers have neither the authority nor the ability to verify lease agreements or other documents submitted by producers, which are accepted by OSDE (Integrated Management and Control System), issued by AADE and verified and paid by OPEKEPE,” he also stated.
Nikos Bounakis’ statement
Dear Parapolitika, in today’s (yesterday’s) publication,
Among other things, it states that:
“According to exclusive information from parapolitika.gr, the center included in MP Christos Boukorou’s complaint, which submitted declarations for these specific subsidies, is consulting company Proactive A.E., providing consulting services and studies based in Crete. According to the same information, president and managing director of Proactive A.E. – Business Consultants is Cretan agronomist Nikos Bounakis.”
Your publication presents our company’s Declaration Reception Center as having made applications and declaring Lake Karla areas.
But the reality is completely different. Our company’s center has accepted and registered in the Integrated Management and Control System (OSDE) an application from one (1) producer for 2022-2023.
For the application to be accepted in OSDE, the producer submitted to the center a real estate lease agreement from the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), which includes the name and tax number of lessee and lessor, Property Identity Number (ATAK), meaning declared with all necessary elements, which OPEKEPE also accepted and paid the producer normally.
How does it emerge that our company has involvement in irregular subsidies? The centers have neither the authority nor the ability to verify lease agreements or other documents submitted by producers, which are accepted by OSDE, issued by AADE and verified and paid by OPEKEPE.
If the article’s author, as I believe journalistic ethics requires, had taken the trouble to contact us, your credible website would not have proceeded with such a defamatory and unfair publication about our company.
P.S. I would like to thank you for the honor of considering me a “PASOK senior official.” I am a simple member who has previously served as Secretary of the Agricultural Policy Sector, KPE member and parliamentary candidate in the difficult 2015 period for our faction.
I am not a professional politician. I participate in the Agricultural Policy Sector to help shape, together with other comrades, PASOK’s program for reconstructing our Agricultural Economy.
Parapolitika.gr’s revelation about Bounakis and OPEKEPE
As parapolitika.gr reported, former deputy minister and Magnesia MP for New Democracy Christos Boukorou caused a “震earthquake” with allegations that despite the OPEKEPE case’s scope, opportunists continue declaring public lands at Lake Karla in Magnesia Prefecture, which haven’t been granted by any authority, seeking subsidies for crops. His complaints show the problematic situation with irregular subsidies continues.
Mr. Boukorou, speaking on OPEN, revealed that a center in Crete declares public lands at Lake Karla. “I investigated and found that during 2022-2025, a center in Crete declares hundreds of hectares of public land at Lake Karla for beneficiaries who have no connection to our area, and with these declarations they seek to obtain subsidies,” the MP emphasized.
According to exclusive parapolitika.gr information, the center included in MP Christos Boukorou’s complaint, which submitted declarations for these specific subsidies, is consulting company Proactive A.E., providing consulting services and studies based in Crete. According to the same information, president and managing director of Proactive A.E. – Business Consultants is Cretan agronomist Nikos Bounakis.
It should be noted that Mr. Boukorou sent the serious complaint last week to Agricultural Development and Food Minister Kostas Tsiaras, listing initials of farmers’ names and Declaration Reception Centers that submitted them, plus attached evidence for investigation, including screenshots showing agricultural plots with recorded area polygons, protocol numbers and IDs. According to Mr. Boukorou, Agricultural Development Minister Kostas Tsiaras was sensitized and sent the complaints to competent Authorities.
