As four ruling party lawmakers face charges, allegations were dismissed against a former agriculture minister who resigned over the investigation.
ATHENS — The European public prosecutor announced Thursday that it had brought the first criminal case against Greek lawmakers in the country’s widening farm fraud scandal.
Four MPs and several former high-ranking public officials are among the 22 defendants referred to trial. However, investigations into seven other active MPs were dropped, including former Agriculture Minister Kostas Tsiaras, who resigned amid the allegations.
“The investigations have revealed common patterns of corruption in the administration of EU agricultural funds financed under the Common Agricultural Policy,” the European Public Prosecutor’s Office said.
Thursday’s indictment is the latest chapter in the farm funds scandal saga that has convulsed Athens since last year. EPPO is investigating dozens of cases involving Greek farmers, or people posing as farmers, who improperly received subsidies for land they did not own or agricultural work they did not carry out. At the heart of the case is OPEKEPE, the now-defunct state organization responsible for distributing EU funds in Greece.
Three of the MPs cited Thursday stand accused of instigation to commit abuse of trust, and one of them of instigation to unlawful management of EU funds. One of them also faces accusations of instigating false attestation and attempted computer fraud. Three Greek judicial and government officials — familiar with the case and granted anonymity to speak freely on the matter — told POLITICO the four indicted MPs are from the ruling New Democracy party: Kostas Skrekas, Katerina Papakosta, Maximos Senetakis and Christos Boukoros.
The MPs could not be immediately reached for comment. They have previously denied wrongdoing and expressed confidence that the Greek justice system would clear their names.
Allegations against seven other sitting lawmakers have been dismissed, while proceedings are continuing against other suspects, including three former MPs. The cases concern alleged offenses committed in 2021, according to EPPO, which said separate investigations into conduct in other years are also ongoing.
The remaining defendants, the officials said, include the former president of OPEKEPE Dimitris Melas, its former director general for direct payments and two former OPEKEPE regional directors, as well as an employee of a serving MP and an associate of a former minister.
Melas has repeatedly categorically denied the criminal charges brought against him. Earlier this month, an Athens court ruled that Melas — who was also MEP candidate with New Democracy — was guilty of repeatedly aiding a criminal and breach of duty.
If found guilty, the defendants face prison sentences of up to five years and fines.
“For the four MPs who are being referred to trial for misdemeanor offenses, the presumption of innocence naturally applies, as the EPPO itself explicitly points out,” said government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis.
The government emphasized that not all of the MPs investigated had been indicted. The allegations against seven other active lawmakers have been dismissed due to the absence of sufficient evidence to justify criminal prosecution. These include Tsiaras, who was replaced as agriculture minister by former EU Commissioner Margaritas Schinas after his resignation in April.
“The opposition, as well as those who rushed to speak of a ‘government of defendants’ — assuming the role of self-appointed judges and prejudging the guilt of New Democracy lawmakers — must now apologize,” Marinakis added.
The opposition quickly seized on the development. “This is the first time we’ve seen a government caught red-handed, with lawmakers and government officials being prosecuted en masse by the justice system, and yet it’s asking the opposition to apologize?” said Kostas Tsoukalas, spokesperson for the socialist Pasok party. “Ancient tragedy teaches us a lesson: After hubris comes nemesis,” he added.