57 convicted for €1.7 million fraud in CAP agricultural subsidies
Athens' First Three-Member Court of Misdemeanours has convicted 57 people for fraud against the EU budget. The accused submitted false declarations of agricultural land in Kastoria whilst residing in Crete.
Fifty-seven convicted for phantom subsidies in Kastoria
Athens' First Three-Member Court of Misdemeanours has convicted 57 people for fraud against the economic interests of the European Union, according to reports from Google News GR — Crime (el). The prosecution was brought by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Athens and concerns agricultural subsidies granted through the National Reserve within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
According to the indictment, the convicted individuals submitted false declarations of ownership or leasing of agricultural land in the years 2019 and 2020, with the purpose of acquiring enhancement rights from the National Reserve. The land declared was located mainly in the Kastoria region, whilst the majority of the accused resided in Crete, without engaging in genuine agricultural activity in those areas.
Through these false declarations, the convicted individuals unlawfully acquired enhancement rights with a total value of approximately €1.7 million, financed from the EU budget. The court also rejected all requests for recognition of mitigating circumstances.
Notably, the court decided to forward the trial records to the European Public Prosecutor's Office so that potential criminal liability of third parties involved in the case could be investigated.
The case forms part of the broader investigation by the EPPO into illegal agricultural subsidies in Greece through OPEKEPE. The European Public Prosecutor's Office has already announced that it is investigating a series of organised networks that exploited the CAP subsidy distribution system. This particular conviction is one of the first significant judicial decisions issued within the framework of these investigations.
The EPPO is the independent body of the EU responsible for investigating, prosecuting and referring to justice crimes against the economic interests of the Union.
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)