OPEKEPE: 19 convicted for subsidy fraud by producers from Crete – sentences up to 2 years
The three-member court of first instance convicted 19 of 22 defendants for false declarations to OPEKEPE, with subsidies ranging from €25,000 to €80,000.
Convictions for OPEKEPE subsidy fraud – 19 found guilty in Crete case
Prison sentences of one to two years with three-year suspension for 15 defendants and fines for four others have been imposed by the three-member court of first instance on 19 of the 22 total defendants in the case of false declarations to OPEKEPE, according to insider.gr.
The court found 14 defendants guilty as principals in fraud related to subsidies. The subsidies they received ranged from €25,000 to €80,000 for the years 2019–2020.
The defendants presented themselves as owners or lessees of agricultural land in remote areas, defrauding European and Greek authorities. These areas were located on islands such as Andros, Kasos, Kalymnos and Nisyros, as well as in mainland regions such as Florina.
Another five defendants were convicted as simple accomplices in the fraud. One of them was sentenced to one year's imprisonment with suspension, whilst the remaining four were ordered to pay fines ranging from €8,500 to €11,000.
By majority, the judges recognised the mitigating circumstance of lawful conduct for 18 of the 19 convicted defendants, despite the prosecutor's recommendation that no mitigating circumstances be accepted.
The case stemmed from a dossier compiled by European prosecutors as part of a broader investigation into OPEKEPE. Some of the disputed land belonged to the state, whilst other parcels had never been declared by the presenting owners.
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)