EU prosecutor arrests 37 in Greece over involvement in agricultural funding fraud, money laundering

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Athens announced Wednesday that it arrested 37 members of an organized criminal group across Greece over their involvement in fraud involving agricultural funds from the European Union and money laundering.

The arrests came in the scope of an investigation that revealed that the group, since at least 2018, allegedly exploited procedural gaps in the submission of Single Aid Applications under the bloc’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), using falsified or misleading documents to claim agricultural subsidies from OPEKEPE, the state agency responsible for managing EU agricultural subsidies in Greece, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The office also reported that the group is also suspected of fraudulently declaring agricultural land and pastures that did not belong to them or did not meet eligibility criteria and inflated livestock numbers to increase their subsidy entitlements.

“Part of the misappropriated money was allegedly spent on luxury goods, travel and vehicles to disguise the funds as lawful assets,” it added.

The office noted that competent Greek state authorities supported the investigations and searches across the country.