Law enforcement authorities have stepped investigations to locate recipients of illegally doled out up to 466 million euros of farm subsidies by a now defunct agriculture ministry-affiliated agency.
The focus is now on recipients who submitted a single application, followed by those who received subsidies exceeding one million euros. Finally, electronic cross-checking will take place on more 600,000 individual tax numbers.
Meanwhile, Greek Police’s (EL.AS) economic crimes unit is reportedly ready to seek the freezing of some 70 bank accounts and safe deposit boxes of 10 suspects, who, in total, received roughly three million euros in fraudulently approved subsidies.
The 10 suspect around among the more than 1,000 individuals that made one and only application – and then “vanished” as ag-sector professionals, i.e. “new farmers” etc.
The subsidy scandal erupted last May when the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) issued a particularly scathing announcement regarding its investigation into allegations of “organized fraud” at the Greek Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aids (OPEKEPE), which operated under the rural development and food – essentially the agriculture ministry.
At the time, EPPO revealed that its probe involved agricultural funds and Greek public officials.
“Gathering digital evidence at the headquarters of OPEKEPE proved particularly challenging and was significantly delayed until 4 this morning,” an announcement on EPPO’s website read, under a subtitle of “Lack of sincere cooperation.”
The ongoing audit-cum investigation covered the 2019 to 2022 period, during which a large number of beneficiaries falsely, according to the allegations, identified themselves as “new farmers”, claiming and receiving millions of euros in subsidies from the national reserve of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The European prosecutor’s office notes that the alleged scam continued until 2024, with certain beneficiaries filing fraudulent declarations for livestock, control of pastureland and requests for subsidies.
According to EPPO, the fraud did not involve isolated cases, but possibly constitutes a well-organized deception, with direct involvement or efforts to cover-up the case by OPEKEPE’s management and board members.
The entire furor generated a firestorm of criticism by the opposition against the center-right Greek government, along with disapproval by voters, as shown by opinion polls.
The ongoing investigation by authorities in the country reportedly involves more than 200 police officers working under a relevant prosecutor of the newly established serious crimes unit, the so-called “Greek FBI”.
Source: Tovima.com
