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EU Seeks Lifting of Greek Lawmakers' Immunity over Farm Aid Fraud
The EPPO said the alleged scheme siphoned off at least 23 million euros in farm subsidies and triggered arrests and political fallout.
- On Wednesday, the European Chief Prosecutor asked the Hellenic Parliament to lift the immunity of 11 active lawmakers, enabling investigation into an alleged agricultural fraud scheme and to "establish the facts, while searching for inculpatory as well as exculpatory evidence," the prosecutor's office said.
- The investigation targets a scam defrauding at least $27 million in European Union agricultural aid since 2018, with suspects allegedly faking ownership of pastureland and livestock; approximately 80 percent of subsidies between 2017 and 2020 ended up in Crete.
- To hide illicit origins, suspects allegedly issued fictitious invoices and routed funds through multiple bank accounts, mixing them with legitimate income per the EPPO's October statement. The scandal prompted resignation of a minister and four senior officials from the government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
- Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis called the request "a serious development," while a separate parliamentary probe previously ended in political deadlock due to competing findings among political parties.
- The European Public Prosecutor's Office continues investigating the agency handling more than 2 billion euros in annual European Union farm aid, while Mitsotakis has vowed to imprison the "thieves" responsible and reclaim the funds.
25 Articles
25 Articles
EU prosecutor probing more Greek MPs over subsidy fraud
European prosecutors are probing an increasing number of Greece's ruling party politicians for potentially skimming EU farm subsidies, it was revealed today, widening an almost year-long scandal that has heaped pressure on the government.
The rapid developments with the 11 MPs being investigated by the European Public Prosecutor's Office constitute "proof" for PASOK that elections must be held immediately.
The Office of the European Public Prosecutor (European Park, EPPO) requested Wednesday to raise the immunity of 11 members of the Greek Parliament in a case of fraud in agricultural subsidies from the European Union's budget, transmitted Agerpres.
Greek Farm Fraud: EU Targets 11 MPs and Two Former Ministers
Farmers during a recent demonstration at the Greek Parliament. Credit: AMNA The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) formally requested on Wednesday that the Hellenic Parliament lift the immunity of 11 sitting MPs investigated in the farm subsidy scandal. EPPO said that five former Members of Parliament are also under investigation. In parallel, it has referred to the Hellenic Parliament information regarding alleged involvement of a forme…
EU seeks lifting of Greek lawmakers' immunity over farm aid fraud
The European Chief Prosecutor on Wednesday asked Greece to lift the immunity of 11 lawmakers to allow an investigation into their role in a farm aid fraud scandal which has sparked political resignations and drawn a hefty EU fine.
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