OPEKEPE: Convictions for subsidy fraud

A Single-Member Misdemeanor Court imposed suspended prison sentences of 9 to 15 months on seven defendants for fraud against the EU's interests through illegal subsidies from OPEKEPE. The subsidies concerned programs from 2019-2020 for new and newly entering farmers in Northern Greece.

The court granted a 3-year suspension on appeal to all defendants and recognized the mitigating circumstance of a clean record for five of them. The president ordered the transfer of the proceedings to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) to investigate criminal liabilities of OPEKEPE executives who approved the files with false information, as well as the crime of forgery regarding a will.

According to the charges, the subsidies received by the defendants ranged from 25,000 to 90,000 euros. The court rejected the mitigating circumstance of sincere remorse for those who returned the amounts after receiving individual notices.

A few days ago, another 13 defendants were convicted for similar offenses in Fthiotida. The European Public Prosecutor's Office continues its investigations into cases involving false information.