A political earthquake has been triggered by parapolitika.gr’s revelation about Nikos Bounakis, who serves as deputy secretary in PASOK’s Agricultural Development and Food Sector, and his connection to declarations of public lands at Lake Karla.
The revelations sparked a direct confrontation between New Democracy and PASOK, both issuing statements. New Democracy, in its announcement, links Nikos Bounakis to the OPEKEPE case and demands explanations from PASOK. The announcement provoked an intense reaction from PASOK, while Proactive SA-Business Consultants, where Bounakis serves as CEO, also issued a statement.
PASOK in turmoil after parapolitika.gr report
Meanwhile, PASOK appears to be facing serious internal party turmoil following the connection of official Nikos Bounakis, a collaborator of Nikos Androulakis, to the OPEKEPE scandal. The parapolitika.gr revelations have reportedly caused intense concern in the Parliamentary Group and party base, with MPs and officials expressing disappointment and serious anxiety about the situation. Specifically, reliable sources report that the Bounakis case, which follows just months after the incident with PASOK Heraklion Secretary Lambros Antonopoulos, has created a climate of tension. The coming days are considered critical, as the Parliamentary Group and officials await to see if the leadership will move toward the “cleansing in practice” that Doukas demands.
The issue includes behind-the-scenes drama, as PASOK’s statement on the matter was issued much later than New Democracy’s related announcement. In between, Athens Mayor Haris Doukas made a sharp statement, indicating to the party leadership that the only path for officials potentially involved in agricultural sector scandals is their expulsion.
Haris Doukas emphasized in a public post: “For PASOK, transparency and legality issues must be non-negotiable, and the response to publications must be clear and documented. If responsibility emerges for any of our officials in agricultural sector scandals, the only path is expulsion. We must not allow any offsetting with the inspirers and orchestrators of the scandal. Those of New Democracy”.
Κάθαρση στην πράξη.
Για το ΠΑΣΟΚ, τα θέματα διαφάνειας και νομιμότητας πρέπει να είναι αδιαπραγμάτευτα.
Και η απάντηση στα δημοσιεύματα πρέπει να είναι καθαρή και τεκμηριωμένη.
Αν προκύπτει ευθύνη για οποιοδήποτε στέλεχός μας στα σκάνδαλα του αγροτικού τομέα, ο μόνος δρόμος… pic.twitter.com/2tAF6LHBT2
— Haris Doukas (@h_doukas) October 4, 2025
However, the leadership on Charilaou Trikoupi Street moved in a different direction, covering the official in question, a fact that increases tension and may trigger a new episode in internal party conflicts. The issue, though seemingly minor, could activate political reflexes during a period of difficult balances for the party.
Political reactions to the Bounakis case
Nikos Bounakis’ public admission after the parapolitika.gr report that the Declaration Reception Center (KYD) in Crete was registering public lands at Lake Karla on behalf of farmers has caused intense political reactions. New Democracy demands explanations about the years of registrations, the amounts disbursed, and the absence of interventions to prevent illegalities. Moreover, as government officials argue, instead of apologizing, Charilaou Trikoupi Street is passing the buck, once again blaming… New Democracy.
It should be noted that New Democracy calls on the official in question to provide explanations on a series of issues such as “how many years the KYD has been declaring the acres of Thessaly lands on behalf of farmers who had no connection to the specific area, how much money they have received in total, and why he himself, as he should have, did nothing to prevent the illegality?”
Investigation of the case is being transferred to the Parliamentary Investigative Committee, where it will be discussed extensively from next Tuesday. The government declares it is determined to uncover the truth about the OPEKEPE scandal, regardless of how unpleasant it may be.
New Democracy’s statement on Nikos Bounakis
Earlier Saturday, the ruling party called on the “PASOK official involved in the case to provide explanations on a series of issues.”
New Democracy’s statement said:
Shocking is the public confession of Mr. Nikos Bounakis, former parliamentary candidate for Heraklion of PASOK-KINAL and currently deputy secretary of the Agricultural Development & Food Sector, close friend and collaborator of Mr. Nikos Androulakis, on the main news bulletin of ANTENNA following a publication by the parapolitika.gr website, that his own KYD is the one declaring public lands at Lake Karla!
At a time when PASOK and other opposition parties are accusing the Government of the alleged “scandal” at OPEKEPE, a significant PASOK official in Crete is involved to the absolute degree as owner of a KYD, declaring public lands at Lake Karla in Thessaly in the name of beneficiaries who have no connection to the specific location, seeking to obtain illegal subsidies.
The PASOK official involved in the case must provide explanations on a series of issues:
How many years have the acres of Thessaly lands been declared by the KYD on behalf of farmers who had no connection to the specific area?
How much money have they received in total?
Why didn’t he himself, as he should have, do something to prevent the illegality?
Does PASOK, by any chance, agree with the actions of its deputy secretary in the Agricultural Policy Sector?
We await the apology of the official opposition and personally of the President of PASOK – KINAL, Mr. Nikos Androulakis.
The rest at the Parliamentary Investigative Committee from next Tuesday.
The truth must shine, however harsh it may sometimes be.
PASOK’s response to New Democracy’s statement
“Old craft of mine, sieve, but political frauds for the sake of distraction don’t sell tickets,” PASOK emphasizes among other things in its response to New Democracy’s statement about Mr. Bounakis.
PASOK states:
The government that protected its ministers from judicial investigation by instrumentalizing its parliamentary majority and fears calling Mr. Mylonakis and the scandal’s protagonists like “Frappe,” “Butcher,” the Sector Head with the Ferrari and other party friends of Mr. Mitsotakis as witnesses, is trying to muddy the waters.
Who do they want to cover? Perhaps the real orchestrator of the scandal? Perhaps the leadership team of Maximos Mansion, which appears to have been involved? Perhaps the Prime Minister himself, who while his close associates know everything, he again plays… the ignorant?
Their political audacity is such that in their statement they put the word scandal in quotation marks. They question whether what the European Prosecutor called the acronym of corruption, nepotism and clientelism is a scandal.
After Mr. Bounakis’ detailed explanations that demolish New Democracy’s propaganda, they will not avoid accountability for how the OPEKEPE scandal flourished from 2019 until today.
On Tuesday, at the next session of the investigative committee, we expect New Democracy’s majority to immediately call their MP, Mr. Boukoros, who deals with Lake Karla issues. Mr. Bounakis is available to anyone.
We further expect them to provide all the “sinful” tax registration numbers related to illegal subsidies.
We imagine New Democracy’s majority in the investigative committee will not refuse any of the above, since they have nothing… to hide (!) We inform them that despite cheap distractions and mud-slinging, PASOK will continue unwaveringly to reveal all aspects of the scandal they are trying to “cover up.”
Parapolitika.gr’s revelation about Bounakis and OPEKEPE
As parapolitika.gr’s report stated, a “bombshell” was caused by complaints from former deputy minister and New Democracy MP for Magnesia Christos Boukoros that despite the dimensions the OPEKEPE case has taken, opportunists continue to declare public lands at Lake Karla in Magnesia Prefecture, which have not been granted by any agency, requesting subsidies for crops, with his complaints showing that the problematic situation with irregular subsidies continues.
Mr. Boukoros, speaking on OPEN, revealed that public lands at Lake Karla are being declared by a KYD in Crete. “I conducted research and found that during 2022-2025, a KYD in Crete declares hundreds of acres of public land at Lake Karla for beneficiaries who have no connection to our place, and with these declarations they seek to obtain subsidies,” the MP emphasized.
According to exclusive parapolitika.gr sources, the KYD included in MP Christos Boukoros’ complaint, which submitted the declarations for the specific subsidies, is consulting company Proactive SA, which provides consulting services and studies based in Crete. According to the same sources, president and managing director of Proactive SA – Business Consultants is Cretan agronomist Nikos Bounakis.
It should be noted that Mr. Boukoros sent the serious complaint to the Minister of Agricultural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiaras, last week, stating the initials of farmers’ names as well as the Declaration Reception Centers that submitted them, along with attached evidence for investigation, such as screen shots with depictions of agricultural plots, where land polygons are recorded, as well as protocol numbers and IDs. According to Mr. Boukoros, Minister of Agricultural Development Kostas Tsiaras was sensitized and sent the complaints to the competent Authorities.
Bounakis’ response to parapolitika.gr’s OPEKEPE report: One application has been made with all necessary documents
Nikos Bounakis gave his response to parapolitika.gr’s publication regarding potential involvement in the OPEKEPE case. PASOK’s Agricultural Policy Sector deputy secretary 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 normally paying the producer.” “KYDs have neither authority nor ability to check lease agreements or other documents that producers provide and which are accepted by OSDE (Integrated Management and Control System), issued by AADE and controlled and paid by OPEKEPE,” he also noted.
Nikos Bounakis’ statement
Dear Parapolitika, in today’s (yesterday’s) publication,
Among other things it states that:
“According to exclusive parapolitika.gr sources, the KYD included in MP Christos Boukoros’ complaint, which submitted declarations for the specific subsidies, is consulting company Proactive SA, which provides consulting services and studies based in Crete. According to the same sources, president and managing director of Proactive SA – Business Consultants is Cretan agronomist Nikos Bounakis.”
Your publication presents our company’s Declaration Reception Center (KYD) as having made applications and declaring Lake Karla lands.
But the reality is completely different, our company’s KYD has accepted and registered in the Integrated Management and Control System (OSDE) an application from one (1) producer for years 2022-2023.
For the application to be accepted in OSDE, the producer provided the KYD with a real estate lease from the Independent Public Revenue Authority (AADE), which includes the name and tax number of lessee and lessor, Property Identity Number (ATAK), meaning it was declared with all necessary documents, which OPEKEPE also accepted and paid the producer normally.
How does it emerge that our company has involvement in irregular subsidies?? KYDs have neither authority nor ability to check lease agreements or other documents that producers provide and which are accepted by OSDE, issued by AADE and controlled and paid by OPEKEPE.
If the publication’s writer, as I believe journalistic ethics requires, had taken the trouble to contact us, your reputable 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 “Major PASOK Official,” I am a simple member, in the past I have served as Agricultural Policy Sector Secretary, KPE member and parliamentary candidate in the difficult 2015 for our faction.
I am not a professional politician, I participate in the Agricultural Policy Sector to help shape with other comrades PASOK’s program for our Agricultural Economy’s reconstruction.
The “green” politician’s company response
In its announcement, Proactive SA-Business Consultants, where Nikos Bounakis serves as managing director, speaks of a “vile mud-slinging and slander campaign” while also announcing recourse to Justice.
The announcement emphasizes:
In recent days, a vile mud-slinging and slander campaign against our company and Managing Director Nikos Bounakis has peaked.
From the first days that OPEKEPE scandal issues saw the light of publicity – and especially after investigation by European Prosecutors – known circles in an attempt to diffuse responsibilities leak whispers to media about our company’s involvement.
Today the mouthpieces and hooded figures were revealed.
