Newsletters
Greece’s parliament is set to vote Wednesday on lifting the immunity of 13 lawmakers as part of a widening investigation into a multimillion-euro European Union farm subsidy scandal that has shaken the conservative government.
The move was requested by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and Greek prosecutors, who are probing alleged fraud involving EU agricultural funds.
Members of the ruling New Democracy party have increasingly been drawn into the case. Overall, the EPPO has launched investigations into 20 current and former party lawmakers.
Those under scrutiny were reportedly cited in legal wiretaps discussing specific farmers’ cases and allegedly attempting to intervene on their behalf.
All have denied wrongdoing and have called for their immunity to be lifted, saying they are prepared to clear their names in court.
Many argue that assisting constituents is part of their duties.
“The role of a member of parliament is to take an interest in the citizen and, of course, to intervene in matters that cannot be resolved under the existing legislation,” former agriculture minister Costas Tsiaras told state broadcaster ERT on Tuesday.
Greek authorities say the network defrauded at least €23 million ($27 million) since it began operating around 2018.
Several ministers have resigned during the investigation, including three this month, prompting a government reshuffle.
The EPPO said the probe involves allegations of “instigation of breach of trust, computer fraud and false attestation with the intent to obtain for another an unlawful benefit.”
Under Greek law, ministers cannot be prosecuted independently by courts, and any investigation must first be approved by parliament—a process often slowed or blocked by governing majorities.
Greek police last year carried out dozens of arrests of non-political suspects linked to the scheme.
Some government officials have criticized the investigation as politically motivated and raised concerns about media leaks.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis addressed the issue Sunday, saying the EPPO must demonstrate impartiality.
“The EPPO is still taking its first steps” and must “prove its objectivity and that it can do its job properly—by avoiding selective leaks and staying away from any involvement in domestic political competition,” he wrote on Facebook.
The EPPO first detailed the alleged fraud last May, accusing subsidy recipients of claiming land they did not own and inflating livestock numbers. Some beneficiaries reportedly had no connection to agriculture.
1 min read
The scheme is believed to have emerged after changes to the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy in 2014, when subsidies began being calculated based on land rather than livestock.
An incomplete land registry at the time allowed individuals to declare land ownership elsewhere in Greece to obtain payments.
Mitsotakis, who has said the fraud predates his 2019 election, has pledged to prosecute those responsible and recover the funds.
Elections are scheduled in Greece next year. While Mitsotakis’s party leads in opinion polls, it is not expected to secure an outright majority.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
