EU prosecutor Laura Kövesi has requested the Greek parliament to lift the immunity of eleven members of parliament. They are suspected of involvement in fraud related to agricultural subsidies. In addition, a former minister and a former deputy minister are also implicated.
Earlier, EU prosecutions into Greek agricultural fraud had already led to the prosecution and conviction of staff from the payment agency OPEKEPE and some officials from the Ministry of Rural Development and Food.
Organized
The case concerns suspicions of large-scale misuse of European agricultural funds. According to investigators, there is an organized pattern in which millions in subsidies were obtained without meeting the required conditions.
Promotion
The Greek payment agency for agricultural subsidies, OPEKEPE, is central to the investigation. This organization distributes European funds among Greek farmers and other beneficiaries. The suspicions focus on how these subsidies were requested and allocated.
Politically Sensitive
Besides the eleven current members of parliament, five former MPs are also reportedly involved in the case. The suspected incidents under investigation are said to have taken place in 2021.
A separate procedure applies for the former officials. According to Greek rules, their possible criminal prosecution must go through parliament. This makes handling the case complex and politically sensitive.
The affair has already led to political pressure in Athens. There is open discussion about how parties should deal with 'suspect' politicians. Thus, the issue affects not only the judicial process but also trust in governance.
Call for Resignation
The PASOK opposition in the Greek parliament has urged Prime Minister Mitsotakis to dismiss all ministers on the list of suspects. However, coalition politicians argue that former PASOK ministers were also involved in the fraud. The suspicions and initial evidence of misuse and fraud have existed for about ten years, but until recently, they were hardly addressed by the Greek judiciary.
Next year, elections will be held in Greece, and this issue threatens to taint many politicians and party leaders. A few years ago, the EU itself deployed European investigative services to the case.
At the same time, part of the information remains confidential. Names and details are only shared sparingly to avoid jeopardizing the ongoing investigation. Prosecutor Kövesi's term ends at the end of this year, and she wants to bring the Greek case before the court before then.