Ten of the 17 defendants from northern Greece accused in a case involving a criminal organization that is said to have collected illegal subsidies from OPEKEPE over a number of years, were released under restrictive conditions following their testimony before the European Investigating Judge.
After hours of questioning, the ten defendants who appeared at the Evelpidon Courts complex in Athens on Monday morning were allowed to remain free by decision of the Investigating Judge and the delegated European Prosecutor. The restrictions imposed include a ban on leaving the country and a requirement to report regularly to a police station. One of the ten was also ordered to post a financial guarantee.
Alongside the ten defendants who formed the first group to appear before investigators, two additional suspects were brought before the court, but requested more time to prepare their defense. They will now testify on Tuesday along with the second group of defendants scheduled to provide explanations to the authorities.
All of the defendants who appeared before the Investigating Judge, and who according to the case file held regional roles in the operation of the criminal organization under investigation, deny all allegations against them.
According to reports, some of the accused claimed they had no knowledge of illegal activities allegedly carried out using their personal information. One female defendant is said to have stated: “I trusted the wrong people and saw my personal details being used by third parties behind my back.”
Another defendant, who works as a private-sector employee, maintains that no money from OPEKEPE was ever deposited into his bank account.
The questioning process will continue on Tuesday, when seven more defendants are due to appear before the Investigating Judge. According to the charges, five of them held leadership roles within the alleged organization.
The case file states that the group’s alleged five-year operation generated an estimated €4.5 million in illegal profits for its members.
The majority of the 17 defendants come from the regional units of Thessaloniki and Serres in northern Greece, and several of the accused are related to one another.
