OPEKEPE Case: Testimonies of 37 defendants conclude; 13 remanded in custody
The testimonies of 37 defendants accused of illegally obtaining European agricultural subsidies through Greece’s OPEKEPE agency concluded on Monday, marking a key stage in one of the country’s most significant financial crime investigations in recent years.
According to judicial sources, the defendants are suspected of forming a criminal organization that fraudulently secured EU agricultural funds by submitting fake claims.
Testimonies for the first group of 12 defendants began on Friday before the European Prosecutor authorized in Greece and continued through the weekend until all 37 had testified. The final testimony was taken at Evangelismos Hospital, where one defendant was hospitalized. He was released after giving his statement.
Out of the 37 defendants, 13 were remanded in custody, while one woman — identified as the ex-wife of the alleged ringleader — was placed under house arrest with an electronic monitoring bracelet. The remaining 23 were released under restrictive conditions pending trial.
The case forms part of a wider Europe-wide investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) into misuse of EU agricultural subsidies. In Greece, the charges include three felonies and one misdemeanor: forming a criminal organization, subsidy fraud, fraudulent acquisition of illegal certification, and money laundering.
Judicial authorities are expected to continue examining financial records and property assets allegedly linked to the scheme in the coming weeks.
