Greek police have arrested fifteen suspects in a major investigation into a new alleged case of fraudulent farm subsidies on the island of Crete, once again placing the country’s controversial farm-payment agency, OPEKEPE (Organization for the Payment and Control of Community Aid), at the center of a scandal.
The investigation, launched Friday, targets a suspected criminal organization believed to have operated primarily out of Archanes, a town near the regional capital of Heraklion.
Alleged scheme of fraudulent farm subsidies and suspects
Authorities have arrested fifteen people identified as suspected core members of the ring, with a total of 42 individuals currently under investigation.
The operation allegedly secured state and European Union subsidy payments through the submission of false or fictitious declarations. The falsified applications were channeled through the local Declaration Submission Center, specifically the Agricultural Cooperative of Archanes.
The scheme’s estimated fraudulent claims exceed €1.7 million (over $1.9 million) during the period under review. The alleged criminal organization included:
- A Farmers’ Union official: Described by police sources as the central figure orchestrating the operation
- Accountants and a lawyer: Suspected of providing professional assistance in drafting and submitting the fraudulent paperwork
- Agricultural producers: Individuals believed to have benefited directly from the illegal payments
- Family members: Police are also examining the role of the union official’s immediate family (wife, sister, mother, and mother-in-law) in coordinating or facilitating the scheme
This latest case intensifies existing scrutiny of OPEKEPE. The agency is responsible for distributing billions of euros in agricultural subsidies annually from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to Greek farmers.
In April 2024, the European Commission reportedly threatened to suspend funding to Greece if OPEKEPE did not swiftly address systemic issues concerning its IT infrastructure and fraud controls.
Related: Greek Farmers and Fishermen Blockade Volos Port in Coordinated Protest
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