Former Minister for Rural Development and Food Makis Voridis appeared before Parliament’s investigative committee on Friday, denying any role in alleged political interference or irregularities linked to the ongoing OPEKEPE scandal, which has sparked judicial and European investigations into Greece’s farm subsidy system.
In an extensive opening statement, Voridis insisted that he “never intervened in any taxpayer or farm subsidy case”, directly addressing references to his name in the case file and the testimony of Grigoris Varras, the former president of OPEKEPE. The agency, officially known as the Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid, is responsible for managing billions of euros in EU agricultural funds.
Voridis said third parties had used his name in conversations without his knowledge or involvement. “Others may use my name, but that does not mean I am involved,” he told lawmakers. “I have never asked anyone to interfere in any audit or payment.”
The resignation of Varras and the Neuropublic connection
Voridis devoted part of his testimony to explaining the resignation of Varras, which he said followed a media interview in which the former OPEKEPE head appeared to suggest he was under political pressure and hinted at the influence of Neuropublic, the long-standing IT contractor of OPEKEPE, providing digital systems for subsidy management and controls.
According to Voridis, the remarks raised serious concerns about the neutrality of the agency. “I called him for an explanation,” Voridis said. “I asked: ‘Is this your interview? You gave it? Was it reported correctly?’ When he confirmed it, I told him: if there are illegal actions, you must file a complaint, submit a report, or go to the courts. Either you act or you assume responsibility.’”
Voridis said Varras admitted he had no evidence of wrongdoing. “So what are we talking about?” he recounted asking him. “We have an obligation to remain neutral , not to side with one company or another.”The former minister added that Varras’s resignation followed this exchange, rejecting claims that he had acted under pressure from private interests. “He accused me of serving the interests of Neuropublic simply because I attended an event three years later along with opposition politicians,” Voridis said sarcastically. “Apparently, we’re now organizing conspiracies together.”
Responding to opposition criticism
Voridis also pushed back against opposition MPs accusing them of a calculated political witch hunt. He confirmed that he knew Giorgos Xylouris, also known as Frappes, one of the names linked to the investigation, but said he had never had any professional dealings with him.
“I have more than 6,500 contacts on my phone,” Voridis said. “Do you think I ask for a criminal record before speaking to someone?” He accused some individuals of exploiting his name for personal gain, calling them busybodies.
The former minister said the opposition was using the inquiry for political theater rather than fact-finding. “You rushed to create accusations without evidence,” he told MPs. “There is no indictment — only political expediency. You are investing in my supposed guilt because it serves your narrative.”
Varras responds: “None of that happened”
During Voridis’s testimony, Grigoris Varras, professor and former OPEKEPE president, issued a written statement disputing the minister’s version of events.
“Mr. Voridis called me to his office and asked for my resignation, claiming that publicity over the agency’s technical advisor was damaging,” Varras said. “In reality, he and his director, Mr. Athanasas, had been working toward my removal since July 2020, when I first submitted the draft tender for the technical consultant to his office, at his own request.”
He went on and categorically denied the exchanges described by the former minister, stating: “None of the dialogue mentioned by Mr. Voridis ever took place. Nothing he said about the audits is true. These began in August 2020, and by the time I was asked to resign, I had already referred three cases to the judiciary. As for the tender, which he praised, it was prepared during my tenure and clearly opened the market to competition.”
Varras’s statement underscores the deepening tensions between former officials as Parliament’s investigation into the OPEKEPE scandal continues, alongside separate inquiries by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office into alleged misuse of EU agricultural funds. Despite his departure from OPEKEPE, Varras holds the position of advisor on primary sector policy to the Prime Minister’s Office, to this day.
