The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) on Wednesday issued a particularly scathing announcement regarding its ongoing investigation into allegations of “organized fraud” at the Greek Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aids (OPEKEPE).

EPPO has revealed that the probe involves agricultural funds and public officials in the country.

“Gathering digital evidence at the headquarters of OPEKEPE proved particularly challenging and was significantly delayed until 4 this morning,” announcement on EPPO’s website read, under a subtitle of “Lack of sincere cooperation.”

It added that the “successful execution” of the searches (in Athens and on Crete) was “only possible thanks to the excellent support” of Greek Police’s specialized digital and forensic units and the internal affairs service.

The ongoing audit-cum investigation covers the 2019 to 2022 period, during which a large number of beneficiaries falsely, according to the allegations, identified themselves as “new farmers”, claiming and receiving millions of euros in subsidies from the national reserve of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

EPPO is also investigating whether and how many declarations submitted included false information regarding the ownership or leasing of pastureland that was actually public land — and how far these tracts of land were from the place of residence of the beneficiaries.

The European prosecutor’s office notes that the alleged scam continued until 2024, with certain beneficiaries filing fraudulent declarations for livestock, control of pastureland and requests for subsidies.

According to EPPO, the fraud does not involve isolated cases, but possibly constitutes a well-organized deception, with direct involvement or efforts to cover-up the case by OPEKEPE’s management and board members.

Another focus of the EPPO investigation involves Paraskevi Tycheropoulou, the former head of OPEKEPE’s internal audit division, who was summarily removed from her position and is facing disciplinary proceedings and lawsuits, following her detection of serious irregularities in subsidies paid out on Crete and the Grammos mountain range region in northern Greece.

EPPO describes Tycheropoulou’s contribution to the uncovering of the cases as “crucial” and points out that she was the only OPEKEPE official to officially cooperate with the investigation.

Despite EPPO’s request that she be transferred to its main offices, something approved by the relevant justice minister, the request remains “in limbo” in the drawer of the Minister of Rural Development Kostas Tsiaras, raising serious questions over possible political interference and cover-up.

Opposition criticism

The case has caused a firestorm of reaction by Greek opposition parties.

PASOK party president Nikos Androulakis referred to a confirmation of his party’s charges, calling OPEKEPE “a mirror of the corruption of the ND government”.

Leftist SYRIZA said “the situation at OPEKEPE is out of control” and referred to a dramatic validation of chronic mismanagement.

The New Left party denounced what it called a cover-up by the responsible minister.

On his part, Ag Minister Kostas Tsiaras has not commented on the case, with the opposition accusing him of “turning a blind eye” to a scandal with clear European and national dimensions.