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Millions of euros stolen through EU subsidies, 37 arrested in Greece

2025-10-22 20:27:28Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Millions of euros stolen through EU subsidies, 37 arrested in Greece

37 people have been arrested in Greece, weeks after the revelation of one of the biggest scandals involving the embezzlement of European Union agricultural subsidies worth millions of euros by the agency for managing European funds, OPEKEPE.

The police operations took place in Athens, Thessaloniki, Ioannina and Crete, following investigations by the European anti-fraud agency OLAF and the European Public Prosecutor's Office. According to investigators, the suspects were defrauding by declaring fake agricultural land, even in archaeological sites, military airports or on Mount Olympus, to benefit from funds that belonged to the real farmers.

During the preliminary investigation, 324 individuals were identified as beneficiaries of the subsidies, causing an estimated loss of over 19.6 million euros to the European Union budget. The case file includes 125 defendants, who received subsidies in the period 2018-2024. Two weeks ago, during a visit to Athens, EU Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi described OPEC as “an acronym for corruption and nepotism”, stressing that the Greek system had failed to prevent, detect and report abuses.

"For years, criminals, aided by civil servants and high-ranking officials, have been stealing European money. This money was supposed to help honest farmers and their families cultivate this beautiful land, not to pay for villas, sports cars and who knows what else," said EPPO President Laura Kovesi.

The EC imposed a fine of around 400 million euros on Greece after the scandal was uncovered. So far, Greek authorities investigating the scandal have seized 22 million euros from over 1,000 fake bank accounts. One of the suspects in Crete alone is accused of embezzling 2.5 million euros.

The Greek state agency OPEKEPE has managed more than 3 billion euros in subsidies each year for 680,000 farmers.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has acknowledged that the case risks Brussels' trust and the future of European funds for the agricultural sector, but has vowed that "whatever the political cost, those responsible will be punished."

 


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