The OPEKEPE scandal involving millions of euros in fraudulent agricultural subsidies is not limited to individuals like “Frappé” and the “butcher,” but reveals a nationwide map of violations, with Crete holding the top position.
Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis revealed on Tuesday afternoon that initial police checks of 6,354 tax identification numbers (AFM) showed glaring violations in 1,036 cases. Fines have already been imposed, while asset freezing will follow to recover the money.
Detailed findings by region:
What Michalis Chrysochoidis revealed
The preliminary results of the criminal investigation into the OPEKEPE scandal were presented by Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis from Thessaloniki, where he is currently located.
“The OPEKEPE case has wounded Greek society. It is unacceptable for some to conspire against Greek resources, whether national or European,” the minister said initially.
He analyzed the investigation’s progress and the methods used by the perpetrators, while emphasizing that assets will be frozen for those found guilty.
The detailed statement by the Minister of Citizen Protection stated
The OPEKEPE case has wounded Greek society.
It cannot and must not be acceptable for some to conspire against precious public resources, whether national or European. These resources are intended to support the Greek agricultural economy, not for the illegal and unjustified enrichment of some.
Our duty – the duty of the State, the government, and the country – is to activate all available mechanisms to prevent and, where necessary, control, detect, and punish violations.
And these mechanisms become more effective every day, with modern means, with men and women who are faithful and devoted to their duty.
Legality and security are OUR duty, but also our common cause – of Society and State. Because if we want a better future, this is the only way we can achieve it. Through our joint action, with our interest and concern for our neighbor and our homeland.
In detail regarding the case…
after meetings and communications between the competent Services, Hellenic Police, AADE and Services of the Ministry of Rural Development, and by order of the Prime Minister, it was decided to investigate in depth the case related to subsidies granted following applications to OPEKEPE.
Also, as is known, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office is conducting a criminal investigation that is ongoing.
Thus, the supervising prosecutor of the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime issued an order for conducting a Preliminary Examination, which began the investigation by DAOE | Subdirectorate for Prosecution of Economic Crimes of Unified Support Applications of natural and legal persons to OPEKEPE for the years 2019-2024.
The aforementioned order mandates conducting a preliminary examination to collect, with every appropriate evidentiary means, the necessary evidence for the competent prosecutor to decide whether criminal prosecution should be initiated for the following acts:
criminal organization/formation/gang,
common and aggravated fraud related to grants, single and continuing,
common and aggravated forgery by unit and co-perpetration, single and continuing,
moral perpetration/complicity in the above acts by unit and co-perpetration, by concurrence, single and continuing.
For executing the prosecutor’s order, the Service proceeded with the following actions.
I will mention some elements, absolutely formal and institutional, however critical for legality, transparency and protection of data and personal information.
Securing the genuine and inviolable digital data, by extracting a copy and seizing it from OPEKEPE’s Information System regarding Unified Support Applications (USE) of natural/legal persons to the Organization. This process lasted from July 9, 2025 to July 28, 2025.
With the prosecutor’s approval, criteria were set for starting the investigation and identifying initial forms of fraud. The determination of criteria up to the current time period resulted from the Service’s previous investigation of similar cases, evaluation of reported elements, provided information and taking into account the required conditions for granting subsidies.
We note that from the tax identification numbers that emerged with the application of the aforementioned criteria, those that – from the initial investigation – showed characteristics of violations-fraud were selected for investigation by the Service’s operators. To date, the following data have emerged:
Additionally, I inform you that the transmission of investigative reports to the prosecutorial authority has, to date, resulted in freezing the property rights of applicants for wrongfully paid subsidies.
In summary, during the investigation, digital data concerning 819,620 applications from unique beneficiaries for the period from 2019 to 2024 were extracted.
The methods they used
The investigation to date of cases where fraud in receiving financial subsidies was detected has revealed the following methods:
- Falsification of legal ownership of declared agricultural plots by applicants.
- False declaration of ownership of agricultural plots of deceased owners following inheritance rights or lack thereof.
- False declaration of livestock ownership.
- Submission of individual applications by beneficiaries without meeting selection criteria.
- False declaration of agricultural exploitation plots by beneficiaries outside their place of residence or professional activity.
Investigation objectives
The prosecutor’s order is being executed continuously and for this purpose a special police team from the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime will be created to take over the continuation of the investigation, with the following objectives:
- Continuous updating of criteria for flagging applications from unique beneficiaries (AFM).
- Examination of criminal group activities that acted in an organized manner to obtain relevant subsidies.
- Re-determining methods developed to deceive the subsidy provision mechanism.
