Heraklion, Greece. Greek police arrested 20 people on the island of Crete on Monday, saying they had dismantled a criminal gang suspected of defrauding the European Union of agricultural subsidies. The case is the latest in a growing scandal that has shaken the government.
Suspected leaders
Police officials said the group’s suspected leaders included two accountants and state employees who helped farmers submit applications for EU farm funds based on false declarations of farmland. According to police, the network’s illegal revenue exceeded €3 million ($3.49 million) since it began operating in 2019.
Wider EU probe
Monday’s arrests are the latest in a series of local cases linked to a broader investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, an independent EU body, into alleged crimes in Greece against the bloc’s financial interests.
Last year, European prosecutors charged dozens of Greek stock-breeders with faking ownership of grazing land to claim millions of euros in EU subsidies, allegedly with the help of state employees and conservative politicians.
Political fallout
The scandal has triggered political repercussions in Greece, including parliamentary probes that were inconclusive, ministerial resignations and calls for early elections by opposition parties.
At the request of the European chief prosecutor, parliament voted in April to lift the parliamentary immunity of 13 lawmakers from the ruling New Democracy party so they can be investigated over their suspected role in separate cases.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has urged EU prosecutors to decide swiftly whether to indict the lawmakers as he seeks to limit the political fallout before the next parliamentary election, due by spring 2027.
