European prosecutors have requested that Greece lift the parliamentary immunity of 11 sitting lawmakers to allow a deeper investigation into an alleged fraud scheme involving agricultural subsidies funded by the European Union.
The move was announced by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which said the request is necessary to advance its inquiry into suspected misuse of EU farm aid.
The investigation follows earlier charges brought against dozens of livestock farmers accused of falsely declaring ownership of land and animals in order to access millions of euros in subsidies.
The case has already had political consequences in Greece. A minister and several senior officials linked to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s government have stepped down amid the fallout, while authorities launched parallel investigations into the management of subsidy programs.
At the center of the controversy is OPEKEPE, the agency responsible for distributing more than €2 billion annually in EU agricultural funds. The European Union previously fined Greece over irregularities in how the agency handled payments between 2016 and 2023.
Prosecutors said the suspected offenses date back to 2021 and may include breaches of trust, computer fraud and falsification of records aimed at securing unlawful financial benefits.
To move forward, investigators need approval from the Greek parliament to lift the legal protections granted to lawmakers. The prosecutor’s office emphasized that the request is intended to establish the full scope of the facts, including both incriminating and exonerating evidence.
While the names of the lawmakers have not been disclosed, prosecutors indicated that information submitted to parliament points to the possible involvement of a former rural development minister and a deputy.
Greek government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis described the request as a serious development and said authorities would review each case once the relevant documentation is formally received.
A separate parliamentary inquiry into the scandal concluded earlier this year without a clear outcome, as political parties failed to reach consensus on responsibility.
Investigations into the role of officials within the subsidy agency are still ongoing, suggesting the case could continue to generate political and legal repercussions in the months ahead.