Greek Ministers resign

The scandal came to light following an investigation led by EU Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi and her representative in Athens, Popi Papandreou. It centres on OPEKEPE, the Greek agency responsible for distributing EU agricultural subsidies. OPEKEPE is accused of processing falsified land leases and false declarations, channelling millions of euros to non-existent farmland.

Several livestock farmers from the island of Crete have been accused of fraud for the period between 2019 and 2022. According to Kathimerini, the total budget for organic farming during that period was €298 million, but subsidy applications totalling €705 million were submitted to OPEKEPE.

The Greek government has since dissolved OPEKEPE, and in coordination with the European Commission, transferred its activities to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue.

The ministers who resigned were all linked to the agriculture ministry during the period in question: current Migration Minister Makis Voridis, Deputy Foreign Minister Tassos Hadjivassiliou, Deputy Minister for Rural Development and Food Dionysis Stamenitis and Deputy Minister for Digital Governance Christos Boukoros.

The scandal engulfing Greece’s agricultural subsidy agency deepened this week, as the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) transmitted a 3,000-page case file to the Greek Parliament. At the core of the investigation is an alleged criminal organisation involving senior officials of the Greek Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aids (OPEKEPE), government ministers, MPs and intermediaries, all suspected of facilitating fraudulent access to EU funds.

The case file includes dozens of phone conversations intercepted by Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP), shedding light on a web of political influence, pressure on prosecutors, and direct interventions to bypass inspections and manipulate subsidy disbursements.

“We can’t remove the EU Prosecutor; she’s out of our jurisdiction”

The recordings place former ministers Makis Voridis and Lefteris Avgenakis at the heart of a sprawling network. In one particularly revealing exchange, a local OPEKEPE director expresses concern over ex-minister Avgenakis’s potential replacement. She is reassured by a farmer from Heraklion, nicknamed “Frappe” (Φραπές), who says:

“Makis promised me – all the way, no holding back. And he also called [Justice Minister] Floridis. If they don’t get rid of Papandreou [the European Prosecutor] now, we’ve got a problem.”

“Convert the corn” – direct interventions by deputy ministers

Attempts to manipulate the subsidy system for favoured individuals have directly implicated several current deputy ministers. During a call, Deputy Minister of Rural Development Dionysis Stamenitis makes a blunt request to the president of OPEKEPE:

“They told me that [name redacted] managed to convert an area of sweet corn to regular corn. I want you to tell me how I can do it too…”

When told the action was likely irregular, he insists:

“No, I’m sure it’s possible.”

In another exchange from September 2021, Maximos Senetakis – now Deputy Minister for Development – intervenes to reduce a farmer’s declared livestock:

“He produced 24 tonnes of milk and wants the number of animals reduced from 330 to 240.”

Melas replies with a warning:

“I’ll fix it. But tell him not to brag in cafés. Too many like him have been left out.”

Elsewhere, Senetakis offers to send a VAT number for review:

“Should I send you a VAT number to see if we can open it? Let’s see what we can do.”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” replies Melas.

“Get him out of the inspection”

The recording also shows Christos Boukoros, the current Deputy Minister of Digital Governance, pressuring Melas to exempt a constituent from the inspection:

“I’ll send you a name so we can get him out of the inspection. Can we give him time? If not, maybe say it’s for health reasons – or delete the goats?”

Melas responds warily:

“Everything is possible – the question is who’s watching. That’s the real story.”

“I was removed because I ordered inspections”

Former OPEKEPE president Grigoris Varras offers a stark account of why he believes he was forced out in 2020:

“I was exclusively focused on legality and transparency. I ordered inspections of subsidies that had been granted without legal conditions. This caused strong reactions from a system both inside and outside the organisation that wanted me gone.”

Restricted access to case files deepens political tensions

Tensions rose further in Parliament as opposition MPs have accused the major parties of hoarding access to the files. According to reports, MPs from New Democracy, PASOK and SYRIZA have been given copies, while members of smaller parties have been denied access.The government’s embarrassment has deepened with revelations that Voridis, during his time as minister, signed a controversial decision relocating grazing lands away from Crete – allegedly to benefit local clients. Voridis denies wrongdoing, claiming the decision originated within OPEKEPE.

Continue reading at: Explosive evidence from wiretaps: Ministers, MPs and bribes in EU subsidy scandal – The Press Project – Ειδήσεις, Αναλύσεις, Ραδιόφωνο, Τηλεόραση

We remind our readers that publication of articles on our site does not mean that we agree with what is written. Our policy is to publish anything which we consider of interest, so as to assist our readers in forming their opinions. Sometimes we even publish articles with which we totally disagree, since we believe it is important for our readers to be informed on as wide a spectrum of views as possible.