An Athens felony appeals court unanimously convicted 13 people Thursday in a case involving fraudulent agricultural subsidies disbursed through OPEKEPE, Greece’s Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid, between 2016 and 2018 in the Serres region of northern Greece.

The defendants were found guilty on varying charges including fraud, complicity in fraud, false certification, and incitement to false certification. The court recognized mitigating circumstances for all 13,  and handed down sentences ranging from five to 26 months in prison, all suspended for three years. Each convicted defendant was also ordered to pay 1,200 euros in court costs.

A key factor in the outcome of the trial was the reduction in the estimated financial damage linked to the case, which led to the charges being downgraded from felonies to misdemeanors.

The ruling largely followed the recommendations of European Delegated Prosecutor Evgenia Kyvelou, who had sought convictions for the majority of defendants.

The trial began in January and initially involved 32 defendants. However, seven opted for a plea bargaining procedure, admitted guilt and returned roughly €165,000 from the subsidies they had received. Those defendants received prison sentences ranging from two to three years, which were also suspended for three years.

The case was among the first major EU subsidy fraud prosecutions brought to trial in Greece by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which operates independently across EU member states to investigate crimes affecting the bloc’s financial interests. It has placed renewed scrutiny on how agricultural subsidies are administered through OPEKEPE.