More than a dozen suspects in an ongoing investigation into farm subsidy fraud worth millions of euros were testifying at the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Athens on Thursday.
The 17 suspects are believed to be part of a larger network of more than 300 farmers and others who are accused of claiming an estimated €4.5 million in European Union subsidies via the Greek agency responsible for their disbursement, OPEKEPE, for animals and land they did not own.
According to state broadcaster ERT, the majority of the suspects hail from the northern Greek regions of Thessaloniki and Serres, and are believed to be loosely connected, including through family ties. As a group, they are thought to have been cashing in on subsidies they were not entitled to since 2019 at least.
The case file for this specific group contains the names of 317 suspects, of whom 302 are accused of subsidy fraud, among other crimes.
Earlier this month, authorities cracked down on a similar racket operating on the island of Crete, making 20 arrests.
