The OPEKEPE agricultural subsidy scandal widened further Thursday, as European prosecutors filed a third case targeting two additional New Democracy lawmakers over their alleged involvement in illegal subsidy payments.
According to reporting by TO ΒΗΜΑ, the file is being sent by the Greek branch of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to the Athens First Instance Prosecutor, who will then pass it on to the Greek Parliament. Like the earlier cases, the evidence against the two lawmakers comes from the same court-ordered wiretaps and allegedly ties them to breaches of duty committed by OPEKEPE officials.
The reason the file is being routed through the Athens prosecutor rather than directly through the EPPO is a jurisdictional one: the offense of breach of duty falls outside the EPPO’s remit, which is limited to crimes against the EU’s financial interests.
Five Former Lawmakers Also in the Frame
In a parallel development, the same investigation has allegedly produced evidence implicating five former MPs in alleged instigation of breach of trust. The former MPs, no longer protected by parliamentary immunity, will be summoned directly by European prosecutors to answer for their alleged role.
Authorities were careful to note, however, that being summoned to provide explanations does not automatically mean those individuals will face criminal charges.
A Scandal Still Unfolding
With a third case file heading to parliament in as many days, the OPEKEPE probe is turning into a full-blown political emergency for New Democracy. According to reporting by ΤΟ ΒΗΜΑ, the mood inside the prime minister’s office is grim, with scenarios ranging from a cabinet reshuffle to parliamentary expulsions now being discussed. Election talk has resurfaced with new urgency, even as government sources insist, for now, that snap polls are off the table. How long that line holds remains to be seen.
