European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi, speaking at Piraeus Port in Greece amid a fraud investigation at a local customs office, declared that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is “here to stay” despite facing challenges.
Kovesi is currently in Athens to review EPPO’s ongoing probes in Greece, which include a massive farming subsidies scandal (OPEKEPE), a significant customs fraud case (Calypso), and the delayed railway safety contract (Contract 717), which is linked to the tragic 2023 Tempi railway disaster.
Addressing these high-profile cases, Kovesi stated that Article 86 of the Greek Constitution—which grants only Parliament the power to prosecute sitting or former government ministers—is obstructing the investigations’ full reach, particularly in the OPEKEPE and Contract 717 probes.
“For many years, some people were stealing European funds that should have supported honest farmers… The bad news, as in the Tempi case, is that the investigation could not go as far as it should have because of the Constitution,” she said. The “good news,” she added, is that Parliament has the power to amend Article 86.
“During the meeting with the Minister of Justice, he declared the intention that this change will proceed. Change the Constitution so that this does not happen again,” she said.
Kovesi also confirmed that the EPPO’s large-scale Calypso investigation into customs fraud across European ports, including Piraeus, has already revealed losses exceeding €800 million in unpaid duties and resulted in the seizure of thousands of containers.
She warned that this is not small-time smuggling, but a crime driven by organized criminal networks, involving officials and bankers.
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