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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
A major scandal over the misuse of agricultural funds has rocked the political scene in Greece, leading to the resignation of three government ministers.
The ministers who resigned are Yiannis Kefalogiannis, Minister of Civil Protection, Kostas Tsiaras, Minister of Rural Development, and Dimitris Vartzopoulos, Deputy Minister of Health. This development comes as the investigations are deepening and new materials are being submitted to the Greek Parliament.
Government sources say that a cabinet reshuffle is expected to take place today, while the swearing-in of the new government members is scheduled for tomorrow, April 4. In this context, the departure of Costas Skrekas from the post of secretary of New Democracy is also expected.
The investigation into the case relates to events dating back to 2021 and involves serious charges, including incitement to abuse of office, computer fraud, and falsification of documents for the purpose of illegal gain.
The full file was prepared by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which has identified an organized network that is suspected of illegally benefiting from agricultural funds.
The scandal has also hit the reputation of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, adding to the political pressure on his government.
However, the investigation has faced legal difficulties at the national level. Under Article 86 of the Greek Constitution, ministers and former ministers have special criminal protection for actions committed while in office, which has often facilitated the avoidance of criminal responsibility for senior political figures.
For this reason, the European Public Prosecutor's Office has been forced to separate the investigation into cabinet members and submit the materials directly to Parliament, opening a new phase in this sensitive issue.
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