22 arrested from Crete before European Public Prosecutor over €3 million fraud via OPEKEPE
The 22 defendants accused of an illegal OPEKEPE subsidies scheme were brought before the European Public Prosecutor, requesting an adjournment for their statements.
Illegal OPEKEPE subsidies scheme: 22 Cretans before European prosecutors
Twenty-two arrested persons from Crete were brought early in the morning to the offices of the European Public Prosecutor, accused of participating in a scheme of illegal subsidies via OPEKEPE. According to ERT, the financial benefit is estimated to exceed 3 million euros to the detriment of European and state funds.
Under strict security measures, the defendants arrived at approximately 08:00 at the offices of the European Public Prosecutor. Their examination lasted more than five hours, and after studying the voluminous case file, prosecutors brought felony charges against all 22.
The structure of the scheme
Two accountant brothers are alleged to have played a leading role in organising the scheme, exploiting gaps in the system to coordinate the illegal activity. According to authorities, they recruited owners and managers of Declaration Reception Centres (ΚΥΔ), as well as persons who appeared as lessors or lessees of agricultural plots.
Particular significance is attributed to the role of six ΚΥΔ representatives, who are alleged to have identified "free" land areas and provided technical support for submitting false declarations. In parallel, 17 members of the organisation operated, according to the indictment, as fictitious lessees of agricultural plots that they did not actually own — participating in the drafting of forged leases and the submission of inaccurate information to create illegal subsidy rights.
The case file also describes the involvement of 71 persons who appeared as lessees and subsidy recipients, submitting false declarations and wrongfully receiving European economic assistance. The investigation is not limited to the 22 arrested: the case file includes a further 116 persons for whom the scope of their possible involvement is being examined.
Statements and defence requests
After completing the proceedings before the European Public Prosecutor, the arrested persons were taken to the courts of the former Evelpidon School, where they were presented before the investigating judge. The defendants, together with their lawyers, requested access to the case file and an adjournment for preparing their statements. According to information, the first defendants were given an adjournment to make their statements on Friday, and it cannot be ruled out that the procedure will continue over the weekend.
Defence lawyers describe the case file as particularly extensive. Lawyer Giannis Veras stated that the defence awaits receipt of the case file so that the evidence that exists or does not exist against those involved can be examined seriously. Lawyer Thrasybulus Kontaxis expressed the hope that "the prevailing social atmosphere will not influence judicial judgment" and that the assessment will be based exclusively on the case file evidence. Lawyer Heracles Papadopoulos noted that there is "a deficit of information" and expressed the expectation that the case should not take on characteristics of "a media spectacle".
Legal circles representing the defendants argue that sufficient time is required to study the evidence so that defensive arguments can be presented against the indictment.
Source: ERT