OPEKEPE scandal: Deceased used in fake lease contracts to defraud agricultural subsidies
A major agricultural subsidy fraud has been uncovered in Greece, involving the use of deceased individuals to claim funds through fake land lease contracts. According to an indictment by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), at least seven people who had passed away were falsely registered as landlords in northern Greece, enabling the illegal collection of nearly €300,000 in agricultural aid.
32 Defendants, 11 Accused of Direct Fraud
As reported by Kathimerini, a total of 32 individuals have been indicted, with 11 accused of forging documents to illegally obtain €299,343 in subsidies. The alleged offenses include money laundering, document forgery, and facilitating the official recognition of fraudulent documents. These acts were reportedly committed between 2016–2018 and again in 2021.
One of the main suspects is a former deputy mayor, who allegedly used an official municipal stamp and a verification seal to authenticate at least 17 fake lease agreements in 2021 using the identities of deceased individuals—some of whom had died just days before the contracts were signed.
Systemic Lapses in OPEKEPE Controls
Greece’s Agricultural Payments and Control Agency (OPEKEPE) accepts digitally submitted lease contracts and identity numbers as sufficient proof for land-related subsidy claims. However, serious systemic weaknesses allowed these fraudulent documents to go unnoticed for years. Investigations indicate that many claims were never audited unless prompted by external complaints.
In some cases, even after investigations began, defendants attempted to defend their claims using forged property declarations (E9 forms) in the names of the deceased, further prolonging the deception.
Three Categories of Defendants Identified
Defense attorney Nikos Petridis categorized the defendants into three groups:
- Applicants who were never eligible for aid,
- Those who unknowingly declared land not belonging to them,
- Accomplices who made fake documents appear official.
Petridis emphasized that this type of fraud is not unique to Greece, noting that similar irregularities have been found in 24 EU member states, and 17 countries have already returned wrongfully claimed subsidies. He added, “The EU should have made security measures mandatory across all member states.”
Trial Underway in Athens
The trial officially began on June 23, 2025, at the 3rd Three-Judge Court of Appeals in Athens. This case is one of nine ongoing court proceedings related to subsidy fraud through OPEKEPE.
The scandal has raised serious concerns about transparency and accountability in EU-funded agricultural programs and has reignited debates over the effectiveness of digital oversight mechanisms across member states.
