The findings of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office are incriminating for New Democracy MP for Trikala, Katerina Papakosta, arsenic they property to her interventions successful OPEKEPE and with competent veterinarians successful bid for livestock farmers successful her electoral territory to person unlawful subsidies.
According to documents presented by protothema.gr, the circumstantial husbandman was caught by inspectors having less cattle than declared to OPEKEPE and was connected way to beryllium placed connected the “red” taxation ID list.
However, pursuing interventions by the MP toward the past president of the organization, Dimitris Melas, and the competent determination veterinarian, dates were altered, the physics strategy was breached, and “fabricated” documents were added truthful that the farmers could proceed receiving payments.
As emerges from the recorded conversations and findings, a livestock farmer—whom Ms. Papakosta described arsenic a “very important person” successful Trikala—was recovered during an on-site inspection with 58 cattle, 12 less than the 70 declared, connected which subsidies were calculated. The inspection followed a complaint, and the punishment imposed was exclusion from the subsidy system. However, done unit and interventions by the MP, the veterinary database was allegedly tampered with to change dates and figures truthful it would look the husbandman had declared 58 animals earlier the inspection took place.
“I americium Katerina Papakosta, MP for Trikala”
The archetypal calls by Ms. Papakosta to Mr. Melas were made connected 24/8/2021 but went unanswered.
He yet returned the call, starring to the pursuing exchange:
Melas: “Who is this?”
Papakosta: “Katerina Papakosta, MP for Trikala.”
She past explains she is calling regarding a livestock lawsuit successful her area:
Papakosta: “The process from Trikala regarding the lawsuit of T.M., successful coordination with Z. (veterinarian), has been completed.”
Melas: “I know.”
Papakosta: “So from September, arsenic we said, you should present grip the remaining part… Do you privation maine to punctual you?”
Melas: “No need. Before the outgo astatine the extremity of September oregon aboriginal October, we volition instrumentality the record from the veterinary database, truthful erstwhile updated, they volition person the caller status.”
“We volition beryllium exposed”
On 27/9/2021, the MP again contacts Mr. Melas to punctual him of the case, assuring him it has been “settled” with the veterinarian. Later, she informs him the husbandman was not paid contempt each actions taken and urges him to look into it “because we volition beryllium exposed,” arsenic she χαρακτηριστικά says.
Mr. Melas past asks a subordinate to analyse the case:
Employee: “From what I see, this M. is not being paid for his cattle… determination was an on-site inspection aft a complaint, and determination is simply a discrepancy… I spot nary correction, nary remedy, and helium is not being paid—there is an excess percent supra 2%.”
Melas: “We had agreed helium would coordinate with the veterinarian successful Trikala… to trim the percent truthful helium wouldn’t look sanctions.”
Employee: “I spot nary alteration successful livestock numbers.”
Melas: “They spoke with Z. (veterinarian), and helium agreed to trim the eligible animals aft the inspection findings.”
Employee: “He was recovered to person a discrepancy of 12 animals, exceeding 20%, which is wherefore helium was not paid.”
“He is simply a precise important person”
Later, successful different call:
Melas: “At archetypal glance, it looks similar nary correction has been made—the information appears the aforesaid arsenic successful May.”
Papakosta: “How is that possible? Z. assured maine it was done… I’ll talk with him.”
She adds:
“We indispensable hole this, we perfectly indispensable hole this… helium is simply a precise important person, and we person reassured him 99.9%.”
Melas: “So you payment a bully elector of yours… I don’t payment astatine all, I’m lone exposed… but the volition was there.”
Key excerpt from the findings
The study states that betwixt August and October 2021, Ms. Papakosta, done repeated communications (calls and messages), pressured OPEKEPE President Dimitris Melas—using persuasion and invoking her organization relation (“do you privation maine to punctual you?”, “we volition beryllium exposed”, “we indispensable hole it”)—to perpetrate the transgression discourtesy of breach of spot (a felony).
It further notes she was alert of the amerciable and fraudulent quality of her request, arsenic evidenced by her acknowledgment of the hazard of vulnerability and her explicit admittance that the “adjustment” of the farmer’s lawsuit was based connected a retroactive, fictitious involution successful the veterinary database.
Her extremity was not simply the outgo of a azygous subsidy, but the afloat concealment of the farmer’s fraud, ensuring helium would not beryllium excluded from the system. As a result, the husbandman allegedly received €27,800.16 for 2021 and continued to unlawfully person funds done 2024, causing full damages of €142,249.81 to EU and Greek nationalist funds.
Additional charges
In different section, the study states that connected 2/3/2021, Ms. Papakosta pressured a veterinarian to perpetrate machine fraud and contented mendacious certifications, starring to damages exceeding €120,000.
Reference to Karamanlis and Livanos
The study besides references a lawsuit involving Kostas Karamanlis. While determination is nary nonstop connection betwixt him and OPEKEPE, his sanction appears successful a speech betwixt Mr. Melas and an subordinate of past Minister of Rural Development Spilios Livanos.
In a recorded telephone (11/09/2021), the subordinate refers to a lawsuit involving 37 individuals connected to Karamanlis. Melas explains procedural limitations and suggests a hierarchical entreaty to the curate arsenic the lone viable route.
In different telephone (05/11/2021), a ministerial subordinate states:
“If thing is affected and there’s nary issue… Karamanlis is requesting it, we’ll bash it.”
Melas responds that nationalist funds are involved, but yet agrees to analyse however the lawsuit tin beryllium processed, noting that a ceremonial acceptance by the curate would beryllium required for outgo to proceed.
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