Charges upgraded to felony for Melas and Reppa in OPEKEPE case
Athens Three-Member Misdemeanour Court upgraded the charges against former OPEKEPE president Dimitris Melas and former director Athanasia Reppa to felony level, whilst convicting them of harbouring a criminal and breach of duty.
Charges upgraded to felony for Melas and Reppa in OPEKEPE case
Athens Three-Member Misdemeanour Court upgraded the charges to felony level against former OPEKEPE president Dimitris Melas and former director of technical inspections Athanasia Reppa, referring the document removal aspect to the Three-Member Felony Appeals Court.
The court decision determined that the particular act was committed with more serious character, as the total material damage exceeded €120,000. The court fully adopted the prosecutor's proposal, which had requested the upgrade of the charges.
In parallel, the two defendants were found guilty of the misdemeanours of harbouring a criminal and breach of duty. The bench recognised the mitigating factor of previous lawful conduct for both convicted individuals, in a decision reached by majority (2-1).
At the centre of the case is the report of Paraskevi Tycheropoulou, who is a key figure regarding illegal subsidies. In 2018, there was a striking increase in the numbers of pasture land, whilst there were suspicions of systematic fraud and funnelling of funds through mechanisms to producers.
The then president of the Organisation undertook and issued an inspection order, pursuant to which Paraskevi Tycheropoulou recorded her findings and submitted a report. However, according to the court's conviction, the two defendants did not take the required actions.
According to what was heard at trial, Melas and Reppa deliberately concealed the Tycheropoulou report from justice, with the result that it was not established that involved producers were defrauding the Organisation. Daily they harboured 80 criminals for a period of one year and eight months.
The decision was denounced by members of the courtroom audience, who shouted at the court that it was an "unjust decision". The prosecutor of the bench, Anastasios Panagakos, had recommended the conviction of the two former officials and had requested the rejection of applications for mitigating factors.
The two defendants in their statements denied the charges against them. Dimitris Melas in particular spoke of an attempted character assassination.
Source: Newsit
Source: Newsit.gr