Significant developments in the OPEKEPE case were announced by Minister of Rural Development and Food, Kostas Tsiaras, speaking on SKAI television station. As he stated, “by the end of August, a large number of people who have illegally received money will face justice,” while emphasizing that the restructuring of the Organization constitutes an “absolute political priority.” Mr. Tsiaras explained that “the special task force formed with the participation of the Financial Police, AADE and Ministry officials has begun to bear fruit” and added: “A chronic pathology that had never been addressed is clearly visible. For the first time, with this government, it is being addressed through procedures that will create corresponding developments.”
Referring to payment delays, the minister clarified that these are due to cross-checks: “OPEKEPE has been delayed in disbursing resources, no payments have been made since June. Payments will be made towards the end of the month – early next month, after the platforms are completed. We are now talking about real audits.” At the same time, he assured that “there will be no case where the flow of this money will be disrupted” and asked for “a little patience, so that procedures can be clarified,” describing the difficulty of the situation with the phrase: “It’s like having to repair a car while it’s moving.”
He made special reference to organic programs, emphasizing that “we are faced with a reality that even we ourselves could not believe.” The minister revealed cases of abuse, such as: “There was a Region with 93,000 declared hectares for organic livestock farming, when the next one – with more animals – had only 16,000 hectares.” “If we added up all the beehives declared in organic beekeeping, they would equal the total beehives of the entire country,” he characteristically mentioned.
According to the minister, the audits have already led to “mass exodus of producers from the programs, absences from audits and temporary suspension of accreditation of organizations that did not do their job properly.” As he clarified, “payments for old organic products will be unfrozen at the end of the month – early next month,” while “within September there will be a steady flow of payments.”
Finally, Mr. Tsiaras referred to the untimely death of Apostolos Vesyropoulos, expressing his deep sorrow: “He was a rare person, dedicated to what he did. His loss has shocked us all and creates deep sadness. I hope his family finds the strength to overcome this event.” At the same time, he spoke about the friendship that connected them: “With his presence he made us feel good, beyond political cooperation. We kept close company all these years and had daily contact. He always wanted to do the best possible.”
