Agricultural fund scandal keeps growing
The scandal surrounding Greece’s agricultural subsidy agency, OPEKEPE, continues to widen, as Parliament reviews a 3,000-page case file detailing systematic fraud in EU agricultural funds between 2019 and 2024.
The investigation, submitted in late June, reveals an intricate network of favoritism, falsified documents, and political interference designed to divert subsidies to allies and circumvent audits. Crete has emerged as a key region in the probe, allegedly receiving a disproportionate share of subsidies.
High-Profile Political Implications
Former agriculture ministers Makis Voridis and Lefteris Avgenakis are facing potential charges of breach of duty. In addition, 14 MPs from New Democracy, PASOK, and SYRIZA are reportedly implicated through wiretapped conversations where they allegedly lobbied for subsidies on behalf of constituents.
One notable call from October 2024 involved OPEKEPE Vice President Lefteris Zervos and a defendant in the separate Grammos false declarations case, where they discussed distributing 300 hectares of land for €25 per entitlement.
Forgery, Kickbacks, and Land Fraud
The investigation uncovered the use of forged wills to claim public forestland, with prosecutors stating that some heirs claimed lands their deceased relatives had “forgotten” to include in their wills.
Former OPEKEPE President Kyriakos Babasidis is accused of accepting kickbacks from private IT firms involved in payment systems. Internal conversations described him as “problematic” but protected by “higher authorities.”
Fraud Beyond Crete
On Kea island, Cretan residents are alleged to have submitted fraudulent land claims, frequently rotating ownership records to evade audits, with officials stating they “changed agricultural plots like shirts.”
What’s Next
Parliament is now preparing to vote on the formation of investigative committees that could lead to criminal charges and further political fallout.
