The investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is in full swing regarding the case of illegal subsidies from OPEKEPE following the transmission of the relevant case file to Parliament for the investigation of potential criminal liability of former Ministers of Agricultural Development Makis Voridis and Lefteris Avgenakis.
The designated European prosecutors in Greece continue their investigation into non-political figures with complete secrecy, while, in case they stumble upon other political figures, they will follow the constitutionally prescribed procedure and transmit the case file to Parliament again. As competent sources emphasize to “P”, this is a complex scandal and the investigation still has a long way to go.
The European prosecutors’ investigation concerns, among other things, allegations that during the period 2019-2022 a significant number of individuals falsely presented themselves as new farmers, owners or tenants of large pasture areas, in order to receive subsidies from the national reserve. In subsequent years until 2024 the same individuals allegedly submitted false livestock declarations and requested the allocation of corresponding public land for activation and maintenance of their rights. And while the transmission of the case file to Parliament was carried out by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office also in view of the risk of statute of limitations for any punishable acts, as noted in the relevant transmittal, the investigation still has many aspects. In case anything punishable emerges, for example, regarding MPs, then a different procedure will be followed, as the Constitution reserves different treatment for them.
Specifically, if, beyond the phone conversations, other evidence emerges, then separately for each one a reasoned order will be sent by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to Parliament requesting permission for them to be called as suspects.
Who is in the “crosshairs” of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the OPEKEPE case
At the same time, in the crosshairs of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office are also the non-political figures – members of the Board of Directors and other OPEKEPE executives, officials from the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food, employees of OPEKEPE’s Technical Council and owners of Declaration Reception Centers – who are heard in the disputed conversations, but have also been identified from other evidence.
Where the investigation will lead depends on the conversations that have not been transcribed and on the evaluation by the criminology laboratories
The European prosecutors are conducting an investigation into serious crimes, such as fraud, breach of trust, embezzlement and criminal organization. Where this investigation will lead depends both on the conversations that have not been transcribed and on the evaluation by the Hellenic Police criminology laboratories of the evidence seized after the raid on OPEKEPE offices.
Published in Parapolitika newspaper
