Greek PM Office Implicated in Farm Fraud as New Evidence Emerges

02/07/2025

By Tasos Kokkinidis
Jul 2, 2025

A previously undisclosed email sent to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) implicates the Greek PM’s office in the farm subsidy scandal that is rocking the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The e-mail by Evangelos Simandrakos, the former head of Greece’s farm subsidy agency OPEKEPE (the “Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Community Aid”), responsible for managing and distributing EU agricultural funds, has significantly deepened the ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities in EU aid for the country’s farmers.

Dated June 30, the email from Simandrakos alleges that 9,309 taxpayer identification numbers (AFMs) were blocked from receiving 2023 subsidy payments due to their failure to meet eligibility criteria. Alarmingly, 63 percent of these excluded AFMs reportedly originated from the southern island of Crete, a region with a significant agricultural sector.

Crucially, the email includes two internal memos previously addressed to Ioannis Bratakos, the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister at the time. These documents, which are expected to be formally added to the EPPO’s case file and submitted to the Greek Parliament, suggest a direct line of communication and approval concerning payment suspensions.

According to the material, the PM’s office was not only informed of the exclusions involving these “red” AFMs—those flagged by OPEKEPE as ineligible—but also approved the decision to withhold payments to them. This indicates a level of direct oversight and involvement from the highest echelons of government in the day-to-day operations of the farm subsidy agency. It is not clear whether Bratakos informed Mitsotakis of the case.

Simandrakos reportedly brought these concerns to Bratakos’ attention in successive memos sent in November and December 2023. In one such communication, he explicitly stated:

“In this payment round, subsidies were not issued to 9,309 AFMs due to ineligibility, of which 5,586—or 63 percent—were from Crete’s four regional units.” This detailed breakdown underscores the significant impact on Cretan farmers and raises questions as to the prevalence of ineligible claims in that particular region.

Beyond simply reporting the exclusions, Simandrakos also urged Bratakos to intervene diplomatically with the European Commission. His aim was to help restore OPEKEPE’s public image and credibility, which he contended had been severely damaged by mounting oversight issues and persistent internal conflicts within the agency.

The email further elaborates on two follow-up meetings during which Simandrakos briefed officials on the deteriorating conditions of OPEKEPE, including escalating tensions with Agriculture Minister Lefteris Avgenakis of the time. Their increasingly strained relationship, characterized by public disputes and a reported breakdown in communication, had become a significant governance concern within the agency.

Ultimately, the Maximos Mansion stepped in to mediate the standoff between Simandrakos and Avgenakis. Despite their intervention, Simandrakos’ resignation became “inevitable.” According to his email, he officially stepped down on December 29, 2023, following a final meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office. During this meeting, he reportedly confirmed that the crucial year-end payments had been completed as planned, crucially noting that ineligible recipients had been excluded to ensure legitimate beneficiaries received their due funds.

This new evidence is expected to intensify the EPPO’s investigation into the allocation of EU agricultural funds in Greece, potentially leading to further scrutiny of high-level government involvement and decision-making processes. The revelation of direct communication with the Prime Minister’s Office adds a critical new layer to a scandal that has already prompted significant concern from European authorities.