The European Chief Prosecutor has requested the lifting of immunity for eleven serving Greek MPs as part of the continuing investigation into OPEKEPE, Greece's agricultural payments agency.
In an announcement on Wednesday 1 April, the European Public Prosecutor's Office also said it had referred information to Parliament concerning the possible involvement of a former Minister and Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food.
Five former MPs are also under investigation. The announcement did not name the individuals concerned.
What was known at the time
According to information available when the report was published, the case file had not yet reached Parliament. That could happen later in the day after it passed through the Supreme Court prosecutor's office.
If immunity is lifted, European prosecutors will be able to proceed with the preliminary investigation.
Sources linked the case to 2021–2022, during Melas' presidency of OPEKEPE.
The Hellenic Police Internal Affairs Service had obtained authorisation to intercept communications involving people under investigation. The resulting material had been examined for six months by financial prosecutors, who prepared an analytical report for EPPO.
After obtaining formal approval from its competent bodies, EPPO sent Athens the request to lift the eleven serving MPs' immunity.
According to the same reporting, two MPs were being investigated for allegedly instigating a felony breach of trust. Other suspected offences were misdemeanours at risk of becoming time-barred during 2026, prompting acceleration of the inquiry.
The parliamentary procedure
Parliamentary sources said there had been no official notification about the new OPEKEPE case file, no material had been transmitted and no related communication had taken place.
There was therefore no clear picture of when the file would arrive or what it contained.
The institutional route is for the file to go first to the Supreme Court prosecutor's office, then to the Justice Minister and subsequently to Parliament with the accompanying referral.
Once received, the applicable parliamentary procedure begins.
Where a case concerns government members, it is announced in the plenary and MPs are given access to the material in a designated room.
For serving MPs, the procedure under Article 62 of the Constitution applies. The file goes to Ethics Committee Chairman Giorgos Georgantas, members are informed and a meeting is convened.
The matter is then placed on Parliament's agenda for a plenary decision within 90 days.
EPPO's announcement
“Today, in accordance with the procedures set out in the EPPO Regulation and Greek national law, the European Chief Prosecutor requested the lifting of immunity of eleven serving Members of the Greek Parliament, in the context of an investigation into an alleged organised fraud scheme involving agricultural funds.
“Five former MPs are also under investigation.
“In parallel, EPPO in Athens has forwarded to Parliament information concerning the possible involvement of a former Minister and Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food.
“As previously reported, EPPO is investigating a possible organised fraud scheme involving public officials at OPEKEPE.
“Today's request to lift immunity concerns acts allegedly committed in 2021.
“To allow EPPO to advance its investigation and establish the facts, seeking both incriminating and exculpatory evidence, the European Chief Prosecutor has today requested the lifting of the eleven serving MPs' immunity under Article 29 of the EPPO Regulation.
“The investigation concerns felonies and misdemeanours against the EU's financial interests, specifically instigation of breach of trust, computer fraud and false certification intended to secure an unlawful benefit for a third party.
“Evidence has also emerged concerning the possible involvement of a former Minister of Rural Development and Food and his Deputy Minister in the exercise of their duties.
“However, Article 86 of the Greek Constitution requires any evidence emerging during an investigation of offences potentially committed by ministers in the exercise of their duties — even if they no longer hold office — to be forwarded immediately to Parliament.
“This makes it impossible for EPPO to exercise its powers fully and obliges it to separate its continuing investigation concerning the potential criminal liability of Greek government members.
“No further details will be made public at this stage, so as not to jeopardise the outcome of the continuing proceedings.
“All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Greek courts.”
