Greek PM urges swift EU action on MPs in farm fraud probe

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged EU prosecutors to speed up their probe into politicians from his party who are under investigation for fraud. The EU has asked to investigate 11 conservative MPs who are currently protected by parliamentary immunity.

The request marks the latest development in an investigation that last year saw dozens of Greek stockbreeders charged with fraud. They allegedly faked ownership of pastureland to claim millions of euros in subsidies, with the help of state employees and politicians. Evidence gathered by Greek authorities includes allegations of breach of trust and computer fraud.

On Saturday (4 April), the Greek parliament received evidence from European prosecutors along with a request to lift the immunity of named politicians.

The documents contain transcribed conversations between MPs or their aides and senior employees from the OPEKEPE agency, which manages EU farm subsidies. "We'll be exposed ... we certainly need to fix this," one of them told an OPEKEPE official. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) says lawmakers used their political status to pressure agency officials.

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EU prosecutors last week asked the Greek parliament to lift the immunity of the politicians they believe are implicated in the scandal, including former ministers Makis Voridis and Lefteris Avgenakis, both of whom have denied wrongdoing. Parliament is expected to vote on lifting immunity next week, following a meeting of its ethics committee on Tuesday (7 April).

Mitsotakis said in a speech that the request by EU prosecutors was serious and called for a quicker process: "I am calling on the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, once (their) parliamentary immunity has been lifted, to proceed swiftly with all investigative acts and to decide whether, how many and whom it intends to prosecute".

The investigation was launched in 2020, with the alleged practices possibly dating back to 1998.

In the fallout from the scandal, Mitsotakis has pledged reforms to increase transparency, tackle clientelism and prevent MPs from holding ministerial roles simultaneously. Critics argue this could obscure government accountability.

Greek lawmakers and ministers are protected from prosecution under the constitution, and only parliament can lift their immunity.

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