Greece: EPPO brings 100 suspects to court for €2.9 million fraud involving agricultural funds

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Athens (Greece) has filed indictments in the Court of First Instance of Athens against a total of 100 suspects of fraud involving agricultural funds, for an overall damage of €2.9 million to the EU budget.   

At issue are three indictments filed in the past months, following investigations into schemes to defraud the EU of subsidies for the use of pastureland. 

Between 2017 and 2020, stockbreeders, mainly from Crete, successfully applied to EU agricultural funds destined to help the sector, paid by OPEKEPE, the Greek Payment Authority of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Aid Schemes, which is responsible for the management of the funds from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).

According to the investigation, the suspects submitted false declarations of ownership or falsified lease contracts of plots of land which in reality they did not own or had not leased. The majority of the suspects lived in different parts of the country from what they had declared in their applications. 

Sixty-four individuals (56 suspected perpetrators and eight charged as accomplices) were indicted on 18 February 2025, in a case scheduled to be heard before the competent national court on 16 May 2025. 

Another 22 individuals (16 suspected perpetrators and six accomplices) were indicted in January 2025, in a case scheduled to be discussed before the competent national court on 24 March 2025.

Finally, 14 other suspects (eight charged as perpetrators and six as accomplices) were charged last year, in a case that will be heard before the competent national court on 30 May 2025.

The estimated overall damage to the EU financial interests caused by the defendants’ conduct exceeds €2.9 million. 

If found guilty, the suspects face up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine. 

The investigations counted on the support of the Financial Crimes Prosecution Department of the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime of the Hellenic Police . All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Greek courts of law.

The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting, and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU. (source eppo.europa.eu/ photo freepik.com)

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