The suspects arrested from Crete in the illegal subsidies case involving OPEKEPE were brought before the European prosecutor’s office early this morning, with the procedure completed after five hours. The suspects were transported by ship from Crete to Piraeus and then, under heightened security measures, brought before the European prosecutor’s office for criminal prosecution.
The procedure was completed a short while ago, with the Greek European prosecutor studying the case file in order to file charges against each of the 16 defendants in the case. Among them are leading figures, while the case file includes another 26 individuals. The case file formed against them includes serious charges such as criminal organization, fraud against the interests of the European Union, and money laundering.
OPEKEPE: 16 defendants from Crete at Evelpidon court
The defendants are alleged to have submitted false declarations from 2019 to 2025 through which they managed to obtain illegal subsidies. To achieve this, they also used 11 fraudulent bank accounts. The defendants are now being taken to the former Evelpidon School courts before the competent investigator. They are expected to request a postponement for their testimony.
