OPEKEPE: The defendants from Crete are facing 7 felony charges

Seven felony charges are included in the indictment filed by the European Prosecutor against those involved in the alleged criminal organization from Crete, which had been illegally receiving subsidies from OPEKEPE for years.

The charges the defendants face include:

• Formation and participation in a criminal organization
• Leadership of a criminal organization
• Criminal support of a criminal organization
• Fraud related to grants, jointly committed
• Direct complicity in fraud exceeding €120,000, committed in conspiracy and continuously
• Fraud against the financial interests of the European Union and the Greek state
• Money laundering of illicit gains

The defendants, who have been brought to Evelpidon to face the European Investigating Judge, reportedly deny the charges. They are expected to request and be granted a deadline to prepare their defense. According to case details, the criminal organization operated continuously from 2019 until its dismantling last Friday with arrests in Crete. One arrest, of a relative of an individual involved in the case, concerns a felony violation of the weapons law, which was discovered during checks at the defendant’s premises. The individual has been referred to an Investigating Judge in Crete.

According to authorities’ estimates, the criminal group gained at least €1.7 million from their illegal activities, which also caused damage to both the European Union and the Greek state. In addition to the arrested individuals, other people are also believed to be involved in the case.

It is noteworthy that the members of the criminal organization are alleged to have been unlawfully collecting European subsidies they were not entitled to from 2019 to 2025. The case file mentions that members of the dismantled group were engaged in the professional and repeated commission of fraud against the financial interests of the European Union and the national economy, receiving illegal subsidies from OPEKEPE through false declarations about individuals, land, and livestock in the Single Application for Aid (EAE) for the illegal receipt of agricultural subsidies.