European prosecutors have requested that Greece lift the parliamentary immunity of 11 lawmakers suspected of involvement in a major fraud scheme linked to European agricultural subsidies.
The request was made by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which is investigating the alleged misuse of millions of euros in funds distributed through the European Union’s agricultural support system.
“The European Chief Prosecutor requested from the Hellenic Parliament the lifting of immunity of 11 active Members of Parliament in an investigation into an alleged organised fraud scheme involving agricultural funds,” the EPPO said in a statement.
Fraud linked to EU farm subsidies
According to investigators, the network allegedly diverted millions of euros in subsidies intended for farmers through fraudulent claims.
Greek authorities estimate that at least €23 million was improperly obtained since the scheme began operating around 2018.
Suspects are accused of declaring land they did not own in order to receive payments and exaggerating the number of livestock on farms. In some cases, individuals receiving subsidies reportedly had no connection to agriculture.
Scheme exploited weaknesses in subsidy system
The investigation suggests the fraud expanded after changes to the European Union Common Agricultural Policy in 2014, when subsidy calculations began relying more heavily on land area rather than livestock numbers.
At the time, Greece’s land registry system remained incomplete in many regions, allowing applicants to declare land located in different parts of the country in order to claim subsidies.
Investigators have uncovered several unusual cases under review, including pasture claims on archaeological sites, olive groves declared within a military airport and banana plantations reported on Mount Olympus.
Political pressure on Mitsotakis
The case has placed increasing pressure on Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his government.
The scandal prompted the resignation of a minister and led to the closure of the national subsidy agency OPEKEPE, which had been responsible for managing EU agricultural payments in Greece.
Investigators believe some suspects attempted to conceal the illicit origin of the funds through fictitious invoices, transfers across multiple bank accounts and the mixing of fraudulent proceeds with legitimate income.
According to OPEKEPE data, around 80 percent of subsidies allocated for pasture land between 2017 and 2020 were directed to farms in Crete.
Government vows crackdown
Mitsotakis has argued that the fraudulent system began before he took office in 2019 and has pledged to prosecute those responsible and recover the misused funds.
“Whatever the political cost, I am not backing down,” the prime minister said last year, promising that those involved in the scheme would face justice.