Latest news with #OPEKEPE
Euractiv
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Euractiv
Greek ministers resign over EU farm funds scandal
Four ministers from Greece's conservative New Democracy government resigned on Friday following revelations of their involvement in a scandal related to EU agriculture funds, in an affair that has shaken Greek politics. The scandal came to light following an investigation led by EU Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi and her representative in Athens, Popi Papandreou. It centres on OPEKEPE, the Greek agency responsible for distributing EU agricultural subsidies. OPEKEPE is accused of processing falsified land leases and false declarations, channelling millions of euros to non-existent farmland. Several livestock farmers from the island of Crete have been accused of fraud for the period between 2019 and 2022. According to Kathimerini , the total budget for organic farming during that period was €298 million, but subsidy applications totalling €705 million were submitted to OPEKEPE. The Greek government has since dissolved OPEKEPE, and in coordination with the European Commission, transferred its activities to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue. Wiretaps reveal pressure on EU prosecutor The ministers who resigned were all linked to the agriculture ministry during the period in question: current Migration Minister Makis Voridis, Deputy Foreign Minister Tassos Hadjivassiliou, Deputy Minister for Rural Development and Food Dionysis Stamenitis and Deputy Minister for Digital Governance Christos Boukoros. Wiretapped phone conversations, which are now part of the legal case, suggest that individuals involved in the scandal coordinated with Greek ministers to intervene and "get rid" of Papandreou, who was investigating the matter. In a separate but related case, on 11 June the European Commission imposed a €415 million fine on Greece for the systematic mismanagement of agricultural aid from 2016 to 2023 – again involving OPEKEPE. 'Greek taxpayers will ultimately pay this money', Rural Development Minister Kostas Tsiaras told the Greek public broadcaster. (de)
Euronews
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Greek government officials resign over EU farming subsidy fraud claims
Five high-ranking Greek government officials, including a minister and three deputies, resigned on Friday following allegations of involvement in corruption over the mismanagement of European Union farming subsidies. The case stems from the alleged mismanagement of EU subsidies for agriculture between 2019 and 2022 by a government agency, known by its Greek acronym OPEKEPE, tasked with handling the funds. According to the European Public Prosecutor's Office, a "significant number of individuals" received subsidies through the agency based on false declarations, including claims of owning or leasing pastures that were in fact public land. The suspects continued submitting false declarations of livestock until 2024, maintaining subsidy payment entitlement, it added. The prosecutor's office sent a hefty case file to Greece's parliament earlier this week including allegations of the possible involvement of government ministers in an organised fraud scheme. Members of parliament enjoy immunity from prosecution in Greece that can only be lifted by parliamentary vote. In a resignation letter to the prime minister on Friday, Migration and Asylum Minister Makis Voridis maintained his innocence, saying he was stepping down in order to concentrate on clearing his name. Voridis served as agriculture minister from mid-2019 to early 2021. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accepted his resignation, as well as those of the deputy ministers of foreign affairs, agriculture and food, and digital governance, and of the general secretary of agriculture and food. Replacements for all five will be named "in the coming days," government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said in a statement. The European Commission announced earlier this month it would reduce the amount of farm subsidies for Greece by 5%, for a total of €392 million.
MTV Lebanon
11 hours ago
- Business
- MTV Lebanon
Greek migration minister resigns citing EU subsidy probe
Greek migration minister Makis Voridis resigned on Friday after being implicated in a European Union investigation into the misuse of subsidies to Greek farmers but he denied any wrongdoing. The EU earlier this month imposed a 392.2 million-euro ($460.3 million) fine on Greece over a major scandal involving the mismanagement of agricultural subsidies by a government agency between 2016 and 2022. "Because my status as a suspect of committing criminal acts is not consistent with my status as a member of the government and in order not to hinder the government's work, I submit to you my resignation," Voridis said in a letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Mitsotakis accepted Voridis' resignation and a government spokesman said a replacement would be announced in the coming days. Another four government officials have also resigned, the spokesman said, without giving a reason for their decision. Greece's opposition Socialists said they would request the launch of a parliamentary investigation into Voridis' possible involvement in the subsidies scandal. Voridis served as agriculture minister from 2019 to 2021. European prosecutors recently charged dozens of Greek livestock farmers who received EU financial aid via the Greek government's payments agency OPEKEPE with making false declarations of ownership or leasing of pastureland. Last month Athens promised to overhaul OPEKEPE, which is in charge of paying out annual subsidies to farmers worth about 2.4 billion euros, by merging it with Greece's tax authorities, with international consultants assisting in the transition. The European Commission decided to reduce the farm subsidies Greece will receive in the coming years by 5%, reflecting its view that there has long been no proper supervision and operation of the subsidy management model. Greece had expected to receive about 1.9 billion euros in direct EU subsidies next year.
Al Arabiya
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
5 Greek Government Officials Resign Over EU Farming Subsidy Fraud Allegations
Five high-ranking Greek government officials, including a minister and three deputy ministers, resigned Friday following allegations of involvement in corruption over the mismanagement of European Union farming subsidies. The case stems from the alleged mismanagement of EU subsidies for agriculture between 2019 and 2022 by a government agency known by its Greek acronym OPEKEPE, tasked with handling the funds. According to the European Public Prosecutor's Office, a significant number of individuals received subsidies through the agency based on false declarations, including claims of owning or leasing pastures that were in fact public land. The suspects continued submitting false declarations of livestock until 2024, maintaining subsidy payment entitlement, it added. The prosecutor's office sent a hefty case file to Greece's parliament earlier this week, including allegations of the possible involvement of government ministers in an organized fraud scheme. Members of parliament enjoy immunity from prosecution in Greece that can only be lifted by parliamentary vote. In a resignation letter to the prime minister Friday, Migration and Asylum Minister Makis Voridis maintained his innocence, saying he was stepping down in order to concentrate on clearing his name. Voridis served as agriculture minister from mid-2019 to early 2021. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accepted his resignation as well as those of the deputy ministers of foreign affairs, agriculture and food, and digital governance and of the general secretary of agriculture and food. Replacements for all five will be named in the coming days, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said in a statement. The European Commission announced earlier this month it would reduce the amount of farm subsidies for Greece by five percent, for a total of 392 million euros.
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
5 Greek government officials resign over EU farming subsidy fraud allegations
Five high-ranking Greek government officials, including a minister and three deputy ministers, resigned Friday following allegations of involvement in corruption over the mismanagement of European Union farming subsidies. The case stems from the alleged mismanagement of EU subsidies for agriculture between 2019 and 2022 by a government agency, known by its Greek acronym OPEKEPE, tasked with handling the funds. According to the European Public Prosecutor's Office, a 'significant number of individuals' received subsidies through the agency based on false declarations, including claims of owning or leasing pastures that were in fact public land. The suspects continued submitting false declarations of livestock until 2024, maintaining subsidy payment entitlement, it added. The prosecutor's office sent a hefty case file to Greece's parliament earlier this week including allegations of the possible involvement of government ministers in an organized fraud scheme. Members of parliament enjoy immunity from prosecution in Greece that can only be lifted by parliamentary vote. In a resignation letter to the prime minister Friday, Migration and Asylum Minister Makis Voridis maintained his innocence, saying he was stepping down in order to concentrate on clearing his name. Voridis served as agriculture minister from mid-2019 to early 2021. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accepted his resignation, as well as those of the deputy ministers of foreign affairs, agriculture and food, and digital governance, and of the general secretary of agriculture and food. Replacements for all five will be named 'in the coming days,' government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said in a statement. The European Commission announced earlier this month it would reduce the amount of farm subsidies for Greece by 5%, for a total of 392 million euros.
