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Shkruar nga PamfletiA minister and four senior officials from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' center-right government resigned over their alleged role in the scandal, which has led to a parliamentary investigation.
The European Public Prosecutor's Office has requested that Greece lift the immunity of 11 MPs to enable an investigation into their role in an agricultural subsidy fraud scandal that has led to political resignations and a heavy fine from the EU.
The news was announced by Protothema.gr.
European prosecutors last year charged dozens of Greek farmers with falsifying land and livestock ownership records in order to obtain millions of euros in financial aid from the European Union.
In June, the EU also fined Greece 392 million euros for poor management of subsidies by the OPEC agency during the period 2016–2023. This agency manages over 2 billion euros in annual agricultural aid from the EU.
A minister and four senior officials from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' center-right government resigned over their alleged role in the scandal, which has led to a parliamentary investigation.
According to new developments on Wednesday, the European Chief Prosecutor has asked the Greek parliament to lift the immunity of 11 active lawmakers, in order to advance the investigation.
The investigation relates to suspicions of criminal offences against the EU's financial interests in 2021, including incitement to breach of trust, computer fraud and false statements with the aim of unlawful gain, according to the statement.
The prosecutor did not give the names of the lawmakers, but information passed to Parliament indicates the possible involvement of a former minister for rural development and his deputy.
In addition, information was revealed regarding the possible involvement in the fraud scheme of a former Minister of Rural Development and Food and his Deputy, while exercising their duties. However, Article 86 of the Greek Constitution stipulates that, if evidence emerges during an investigation concerning possible criminal offences committed by Ministers while exercising their duties, even if they subsequently leave office, this must be transmitted immediately to Parliament. This makes it impossible for the European Public Prosecutor's Office to fully perform its tasks and obliges it to discontinue its ongoing investigation into the possible criminal liability of members of the Greek government.
For the time being, no further details will be made public, so as not to jeopardize the outcome of the current proceedings.
All those involved are considered innocent until proven guilty in the competent Greek courts.
The European Public Prosecutor's Office is the independent prosecutor's office of the European Union and is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to justice crimes against the EU's financial interests.
Mos ua hiq imunitetin Micotaqis! Merr shembull nga Edi Rama se si e perdor ligjin. Leri se cthone e cfare kerkojne prokuroret europiane. Ata qe vjedhin dhe abuzojne me fondet dhe taksat duhen mbeshtetur , se keshtu po lulezonon shkerdhatokracia ne Shqiperi... Keshtu beni dhe juve Mico taqis!