Greek police said on Tuesday that they had broken up a criminal gang accused of fraudulently claiming agricultural subsidies from both the Greek state and the European Union.
The group, based on the island of Crete, is accused of submitting false claims to Greece’s farm subsidy agency, OPEKEPE, in order to obtain agricultural funds from both the Greek state and the European Union.
Some of those arrested will appear before the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Athens today. A further 116 individuals remain under investigation. According to police
A case has been opened against them—on a case-by-case basis—for the establishment of a criminal organisation, fraud related to subsidies, false declaration, as well as money laundering.
The allocation of European agricultural funds is already controversial in Greece, with protests late last year prompted by delays in payment.
