The investigation into a major subsidy fraud scandal involving Greece’s agricultural payment agency, OPEKEPE, has reached a critical turning point. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which is leading the inquiry, is expected to issue formal statements in the coming days. The case revolves around alleged irregularities in the distribution of European Union agricultural funds by the Hellenic Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid (OPEKEPE). Since late 2023, the investigation has advanced significantly, now focusing on both individuals and organizations involved in the management of OPEKEPE’s information systems and subsidy distribution processes.
Authorities have conducted searches at OPEKEPE’s facilities, seizing both digital and physical records. These materials have been handed over to the Hellenic Police’s Forensic Laboratories and are being analyzed as part of a broader effort to uncover how the agency’s payment system functioned. Particular attention is being paid to the system’s technical architecture, how user credentials were handled, and how data related to subsidy flows was managed.
A key figure in the investigation is Neuropublic, a private IT company that has served as OPEKEPE’s sole technical provider since 2010. The firm has been responsible for maintaining and supporting the agency’s digital infrastructure. Investigators are now exploring whether Neuropublic had knowledge of, or involvement in, system functions that allowed for subsidies to be distributed without sufficient documentation. In an official statement, the company denied any wrongdoing and emphasized that it has not been summoned by judicial authorities or involved in any legal proceedings related to the case.
The investigation is also examining the role of Greece’s Ministry of Rural Development and Food, particularly decisions made between 2019 and 2021, a period that has emerged as central to the alleged misconduct. Greek prosecutors have already filed eight criminal cases linked to the scandal, covering incidents believed to have occurred during that timeframe.
