by & nbspgavin Blackburn & nbspwith & nbspAP
It’s published •update
Five senior Greek government officials, including the minister and three agents, resigned on Friday after allegations of involvement in corruption over the mismanagement of European Union agricultural subsidies.
The incident stems from allegations of inappropriate control of EU subsidies for agriculture by government agencies that are tasked with handling funds between 2019 and 2022 by a government agency known for the Greek acronym Opekepe.
According to the European Prosecutor’s Office, “a considerable number of individuals” received grants through the agency based on a false declaration, including a request to own or lease pastures that are actually public land.
The suspect continued to file false declarations of livestock until 2024, adding that he continued to qualify for the grant.
The prosecutor’s office sent a large legal file to Greek parliament earlier this week, including allegations of possible involvement of government ministers in an organized fraud scheme.
Members of the Parliament enjoy immunity from Greek prosecutors, which can only be lifted by a parliamentary vote.
In a letter of resignation to the prime minister on Friday, immigration and asylum deputy minister Makis Volidis maintained his innocence, saying he had resigned to focus on clearing his name.
Voridis served as Minister of Agriculture from mid-2019 to early 2021.
Prime Minister Kiliakos Mitotakis accepted his resignation as well as his resignation of the vice minister, secretary general of diplomacy, agriculture and food, digital governance, and agriculture and food.
Government spokesman Pablos Marinakis said in a statement that all five alternatives will be named “the next few days.”
The European Commission announced earlier this month that it would reduce the amount of Greece’s farm subsidies by 5%, bringing it to a total of 392 million euros.
