The time has come for the third case-file for OPEKEPE in the House by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, opening another chapter in a case already characterized as the biggest agricultural scandal of post-politisation.
Today's debate on the State of Law in the Parliament, which was almost postponed due to the sudden illness of George Mylonakis, a close associate of the Prime Minister, takes place in the shadow of the OPEKEPE scandal and the echo caused by «degree» The current Deputy Minister for Rural Development, Makarios Lazaridis.
The OPEKEPE scandal, despite the current deputy minister's attempt to weaken its value, is the biggest agricultural and political scandal in the history of post-policy, although there has so far been no condemnation of a political person. So far, based on the current European Public Prosecutor's Office documents, the number of persons involved appears to be over 20 political persons, active or outside the House and government. But the trend is constantly rising and other documents are coming.
THE COURT OF JUSTICE AND THE Political SUBSTANCE
So far, judicial developments concern mainly second-class officials, while there have already been detentions and there are ongoing trials. So far we have seen resignations from office but not referrals from political persons to trials, for a scandal, which, in the assessment of the Deputy Prime Minister, Adoni Georgiades cost around 800,000 euros, while in the assessment of the leader of SYRIZA – PS, Socrates Famelou over 1 billion euros.
In the OPEKEPE cases they are referred to as involved ministers, deputy ministers, former and current and also MPs from the blue party. For the first two, former ministers of Rural Development, Makis Voridis and Lefteri Avgenakis, no prosecutions were exercised by the Greek authorities, nor was it made a preliminary committee, but only an examination. With the New Democracy finding no one agreed, while the other party findings had several common points.
THE «15» of 2 and 3rd OPEKEPE file
For the 11 Members who are alleged to be involved, according to the European Public Prosecutor's Office's 2nd case, they asked for their immunity to be lifted and the House is expected to decide. For Spilio Livanos, former Minister for Rural Development and Fotini Arampatzis, a former Deputy Minister for Rural Development may be referred to in Article 82, because the offences in which they are reportedly involved are in the performance of their duties in the YPAT.
In the case of the 3rd case, the former Minister of Justice and Vice-President of the Parliament, Mr. Charalambos Athanasiou and the former Deputy Minister, MP of Serres, Tasos Hatzivassiliou, are treated as involved.
The actual range of the OPEKEPE scandal remains unclear. Information refers to an upcoming 4th case, which may either enrich the indictment with new political figures or open new aspects of the same case. The feeling formed is that it is a mechanism with a length of time and diverse branches.
DETAILED YEARS 40
Unfortunately, the agricultural sector after the country's accession to the European Community has been associated with distortions, abuses and scandals which have shared Community aid.
The first politician convicted was Nikos Athanasopoulos, on the occasion of the Yugoslav corn scandal in 1986. Then a shipment of corn from the single Yugoslavia arrived in Thessaloniki and then «baptized» Greek in Kavala, in order not to lose Community subsidies.
The Commission reacted strongly, referring the country to the European Court of Justice and demanding a refund of DR 400 million.
N. Athanasopoulos, then Deputy Finance Minister, was referred to the Special Court and sentenced, in a landmark case for post-political Greece.
THE TIME WITH THE WORDS
In the critical 1980s and 1990s, so-called «covers» they left a time as an almost institutionalized practice: more olive trees, larger areas, were declared to receive higher subsidies. At the same time, the cotton field dominated the slogan «All the pounds, all the money.», reflecting the logic of the time. The issue also with the counting of sheep and goats or free-range pastures occupied several times.
Despite the diffusion of these practices, there were no political convictions. On the contrary, the country itself was condemned at European level, while at national level mainly low-ranking officials, farmers and cooperative executives were punished. This scandal, with its systemic dimensions, eventually led to the reduction of aid and the establishment of the OPECEP in 1998, under the construction of Stephen Jumaka, with the aim of rationalising and controlling agricultural payments.
THE SCANDAL OF AGRICULTURE
In the 2000s, the Farm scandal highlighted a different aspect of the same pathogenity: the absolute functioning of the state as a party tsifiki. Farming, a state company of the Rural Development Ministry, proved to have operated with purely party criteria. Recruitment was revealed without object, waste of public money and total lack of merit. In 2010–2011 the company was permanently abolished, although there were some executives, retained.
In the meantime, they weren't missing. «packages» allowances granted without the European Union's necessary information or approval, causing repeated reprimands and fines to the country. These packages, bearing the stamp of three different ministers, governments of the New Republic, strengthened the image of a distorted Greek, rural sector that often operates outside institutional rules.
OPEKEPE'S GREAT Scandal
Within this historical context, the OPEKEPE scandal revealed in 2025–2026, comes not as an exception, but as a continuation. The European Public Prosecutor's Office's 3rd case-file increases the suffering of the drop for the government. It is already firing a new cycle of political tension and creating a nightmare for the blue party.
Ήδη έχουν κριθεί προφυλακιστέα μεσαία στελέχη της, όπως ο Μύρων Χιλετζάκης και μαζί του πρώην στέλεχος του ΠΑΣΟΚ, κουμπάρος του Νίκου Ανδρουλάκη. Επιπλέον, διαρκώς νέα στοιχεία έρχονται στο φως της δημοσιότητας για τον πρώην πρόεδρο του ΟΠΕΚΕΠΕ, και πρώην υποψήφιο γαλάζιο ευρωβουλευτή Δημήτρη Μελά, ενώ στην κοινοβουλευτική ιστορία θα μείνει η κατάθεση του Γιώργη Ξυλούρη.
Επομένως, υπό διερεύνηση είναι κι άλλα γαλάζια μεσαία στελέχη με πόρσε, λαχνούς που κέρδιζαν τακτικά οι ίδιοι ή τα παιδιά τους κ.ά.
Οι πληροφορίες που έρχονται, είναι πως η 4η δικογραφία από άποψη εμπλοκής προσώπων της γαλάζιας παράταξης είναι ακόμη φαρμακερή και δεν αποκλείεται να οδηγήσει και σε πολιτικές εξελίξεις κι αναδιάταξη του σκηνικού.
