Assets of four key suspects in OPEKEPE scandal seized

Authorities person frozen assets linked to a erstwhile New Democracy authoritative successful a widening probe into alleged misuse of cultivation subsidies.

The Anti-Money Laundering Authority seized a Porsche, a Ferrari, 30 further vehicles, and 11 properties tied to Kalliopi Semertzidou, her partner, and adjacent relatives.

The probe centers connected €2.6 cardinal successful subsidies received betwixt 2019 and 2024, of which €1.5 cardinal is suspected to person funded a lavish manner alternatively than productive cultivation use.

The authority’s findings were forwarded to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, citing indications of fraud and wealth laundering.

Under the directive of the authority’s president, Charalampos Vourliotis, assets belonging to 4 individuals were frozen, including holdings of a single-member backstage institution reportedly used to negociate luxury vehicles for commercialized rental.

The seized existent property includes plots, farmland, and residential properties. Investigators are examining whether mendacious oregon fictitious invoices were used to get funds.

The lawsuit is portion of a broader crackdown connected amerciable subsidies from OPEKEPE, Greece’s cultivation payments agency, targeting recipients of implicit €100,000 and individuals progressive successful the disbursement process, including bureau staff and operators of Declaration Reception Centers (KYD).

Prosecutor Dimitris Gkyzis, overseeing organized crime, is expected to contented implicit 350 asset-freeze orders by precocious September, totaling €15 million.

More than 100 orders person already been issued, covering €6 cardinal successful assets. Authorities are probing whether KYD operators coordinated subsidy applications successful speech for commissions.