The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has alleged that two former Greek government ministers were involved in a scheme to defraud the EU farm budget, referring the case to the Greek parliament for possible investigation and prosecution.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) announced on Thursday that two former Greek government ministers are suspected of involvement in a scheme to defraud the EU farm budget. The case has been referred to the Greek parliament, which holds the sole authority to investigate and prosecute current or former government members under Greek law.
The announcement comes after Brussels imposed fines of nearly €400 million on Athens, following a multi-year scam in which Greek citizens received EU agricultural funds for pastureland they did not own or lease, or for agricultural work they did not perform.
According to the EPPO, information surfaced during the investigation indicating the "possible involvement of two former Ministers in aiding and instigating the misappropriation (breach of trust) of EU agricultural funds during the exercise of their official duties." The ministers were not named in the statement, but Greek and EU officials identified them as Makis Voridis (agriculture minister 2021–2023, now migration minister) and Lefteris Avgenakis (agriculture minister 2023–2024, now an MP).
Voridis, responding on social media, denied any criminal wrongdoing and said he would comment further after reviewing the case file.
The scheme involved straw men, often from Crete, fraudulently obtaining EU funding for pastureland due to OPEKEPE (the now-defunct Greek payment agency for EU aid) not requiring proof of ownership. An internal auditor who raised concerns was sidelined, and senior OPEKEPE officials who tried to investigate were forced out by the agriculture minister at the time.
The EPPO noted that its mandate is limited by Greek law, which prevents it from prosecuting members of the Greek government. The agency described this as a violation of its founding EU regulation and has reported the legal incompatibility to the European Commission.
European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi has pledged to continue the investigation despite what she describes as “attacks” and “intimidation” against her staff. Last month, EPPO investigators faced physical resistance from OPEKEPE staff, leading to the dismissal of the agency’s president and the government's decision to shut down OPEKEPE.
The European Commission fined Greece nearly €400 million last week for mismanaging EU farm funding, with Greek and EU officials anticipating further fines.
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