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57 defendants were found guilty by the Cretewho allegedly misrepresented that they owned or operated pastures in Kastoriain order to receive agricultural subsidies from the national reserve.
However, the Three-member Misdemeanor Court ruled by majority innocent a producer accepting its stand-alone claim for culpability elimination because returned with interest the sums of money he collectedwhich are estimated at around 30,000 euros. At the same time, for some of the convicted, the court changed the charges and corrected downwards the amounts of subsidies listed in the original indictment.
The case began to unravel following a complaint by the president of the Agricultural Cooperative of Kastoriawho also testified as a key witness in the trial, describing the way in which, according to his claims, lands were claimed by persons who had nothing to do with the area. According to the European Public Prosecutor’s indictment, those involved allegedly received illegal subsidies of thousands of euros from OPEKEPE for lands declared as pastures and olive and almond crops.
The court adjourned for July 1, in order to rule on the mitigating factors and the penalties it will impose, but also to answer whether it agrees with the prosecutor’s proposal for a new investigation against two OPEKEPE auditors.
The mandated European public prosecutor Hariklia Thanou during her speech
asked not to limit the criminal assessment to the 58 defendants from Crete, but to be extended to OPEKEPE executivesopening a new chapter in the case of illegal agricultural aid.
Mrs. Thanou proposed the guilt of the accused and also the sending of copies of the case file to the competent prosecution authority, in order to investigate any criminal responsibilities of two auditors and the head of the competent office of OPEKEPE for the offenses of false certification and complicity in it, to the extent of a felony.
