Names of 11 MPs released in EU move to lift immunity over farm aid fraud

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has requested the lifting of parliamentary immunity for 11 sitting MPs, including Rural Development Minister Kostas Tsiaras and Civil Protection Minister Ioannis Kefalogiannis, arsenic portion of a widening probe into EU workplace assistance fraud involving the OPEKEPE agency. 

European prosecutors person already charged dozens of Greek livestock breeders accused of falsifying ownership of pastureland and animals to unafraid millions of euros successful EU subsidies.

In a statement, the European prosecutor’s bureau said the probe concerns offenses against the EU’s fiscal interests, including incitement to breach of trust, physics fraud and mendacious certification aimed astatine third-party gain.

According to accusation obtained by Kathimerini, the request, too Tsiaras and Kefalogiannis, besides concerns 9 further MPs from the ruling party: Kostas Karamanlis, Kostas Skrekas, Katerina Papakosta, Notis Mitarakis, Dimitris Vartzopoulos, Maximos Senetakis, Vasileios Vasileiadis, Christos Boukoros and Theofilos Leontaridis.

Most of those named did not respond to requests for comment, while others said they were unaware of the request.

The lawsuit record concerns alleged offenses dating backmost to 2021, with the probe into the OPEKEPE continuing for subsequent years, according to officials.

Five erstwhile MPs are besides under investigation. Reports bespeak that erstwhile agrarian improvement curate Spilios Livanos and erstwhile lawman curate Fotini Arabatzi whitethorn beryllium implicated successful actions taken during their tenure.

Under the Greek Constitution, if, during the people of an investigation, grounds emerges indicating imaginable offenses committed by ministers successful the workout of their duties, adjacent if they nary longer clasp office, such grounds indispensable beryllium promptly forwarded to Parliament. 

The lawsuit has already prompted governmental fallout, with a curate and 4 elder officials successful the authorities of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis resigning amid the ongoing probe, which has besides triggered a parliamentary investigation.