The... pan-European disgrace continues...
Despite the fact that the OPEKEPE scandal constitutes a... deafening slap in the face for the Greek government, despite the fact that even the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has intervened with the relevant investigation remaining underway, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food (under Margaritis Schinas, who joined the government with great fanfare) appears to have attempted to... grant amnesty to the fraudsters who «devoured» millions in agricultural subsidies.
Politico brings Article 74 back into the spotlight (which was first highlighted by BankingNews), recording the fierce backlash from opposition parties and experts, who argue that it could function as a «get out of jail free card» for defendants in cases linked to the agricultural subsidies scandal.
The intervention by Politico comes following the revelation by BN concerning the disputed clause and the backlash it provoked, which forced the government into last-minute legislative tweaks.
Naturally, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food rejects the «amnesty» interpretation, maintaining that the regulation concerns the protection of producers whose land parcels were subsequently designated as forest areas.
However, Politico records the... concerns of critics that the provision could also be utilized by individuals under investigation for unlawful receipt of subsidies, even in the event of conviction, via the appeals process. Thus, Article 74 now acquires a European dimension as well, at a time when the OPEKEPE case is already under the microscope of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
What Politico reports
More specifically, the Politico report highlights the following:
««Get out of jail free card» for agricultural subsidy fraudsters?
Opposition parties in Greece and agricultural experts accuse the government of attempting to legalize a mechanism through which European farm subsidies were granted to non-beneficiaries, reports Nektaria Stamouli of POLITICO.
A provision added to a fisheries bill, which is put to a vote today, could be invoked by defendants in cases connected to the scandal and act as a form of amnesty, critics contend. The Ministry of Rural Development and Food rejects these claims.
The background: The agricultural scandal in Greece is being investigated by European prosecutors, while four lawmakers from the ruling New Democracy party, who are allegedly implicated in the affair, are scheduled to stand trial in October.
Amnesty? The ministry maintains that the provision is designed to protect producers whose land was retrospectively classified as forestry land.
However, critics argue that the provision will benefit applicants suspected of fraud and voice fears that convicted individuals could cite the provision on appeal in order to seek acquittal or mitigation from the charges against them».
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