Unexplained wealth of approximately €2.5 million has been discovered by the Anti-Money Laundering Authority in the controlled case of OPEKEPE, known as “Frappé”. The investigation covers the period 2021–2023 and revealed significant discrepancies between declared income and the actual financial status of the producer.
OPEKEPE: €2.5 million unexplained wealth found in “Frappé” declaration
The Authority, responsible for monitoring asset declarations, identified a “black hole” in his declaration, while his name is also included in the case file that was forwarded to Parliament regarding illegal OPEKEPE subsidies.
The producer from Crete allegedly failed to submit an asset declaration despite the legal obligation, and the investigation revealed that approximately €2.5 million cannot be justified regarding its origin. Besides the money, the Authority discovered he owned eight vehicles, including a luxury Jaguar.
Case forwarded to prosecutor
Based on the findings, the case file is being forwarded to the competent prosecutor to examine potential violations of asset declaration laws, while it will also be sent to the Court of Audit for penalty assessment.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues to determine if there are indications of money laundering offenses. The Authority’s investigation also revealed that this particular producer had declared land in Chios at least once, based on which he received subsidies. Subsequently, he claimed that he had made this declaration by mistake, without however returning the amounts he allegedly received, nor did the service demand them back.
The investigation remains ongoing and developments are expected in the coming period.
