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EU prosecutors probe Greek ministries over alleged scandal involving AI project and EU funds
🇬🇷 Greece /Crime & Justice

EU prosecutors probe Greek ministries over alleged scandal involving AI project and EU funds

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Under investigation
  • The European Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating a potential scandal involving EU funds, focusing on three Greek ministries: Justice, Finance, and Education.
  • The investigation centers on a problematic AI project for forensic services, allegedly awarded through a rigged tender favoring individuals with connections to ministry officials.
  • Concerns include the project's questionable implementation, lack of international acceptance for AI in forensics, and potential misuse of funds allocated from the Recovery Fund.

A government scandal involving the alleged misuse of European Union funds is under scrutiny by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, with investigations targeting at least three Greek ministries: Justice, Finance, and Education. New details and photographic evidence brought to light suggest behind-the-scenes maneuvering by government officials and civil servants.

The project remains problematic, is not used, and it is uncertain whether it will be completed or delivered, while there are scientific analyses by the responsible parties that speak of 'deficiencies'.

— Article TextDescribes the current state and issues with the AI forensic project.

The core of the controversy lies in a project for the experimental application of Artificial Intelligence in Greek forensic services. This project, awarded in December 2023 by the Ministry of Justice to a laboratory at the University of Piraeus, is reportedly linked to a close relative of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice, Vasiliki Gavi. Gavi is a close associate of Justice Minister Giorgos Floridis, who is said to be receiving a significant portion of the funding.

Concerns have been raised about the tender process, which is alleged to have been rigged to benefit specific individuals. The project itself remains problematic, unused, and its completion is uncertain. Scientific analyses by those responsible have pointed to "deficiencies." This situation follows earlier revelations on June 28, 2025, which questioned the international acceptance of AI in forensic medicine and highlighted its implementation in Greece without necessary preliminary procedures, suggesting a predetermined selection of the laboratory due to the familial connection.

The application was commissioned in December 2023 by the Ministry of Justice to a laboratory at the University of Piraeus, where a close relative of the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice, Ms. Vasiliki Gavi, works.

— Article TextDetails the awarding of the AI project and the alleged conflict of interest.

Further complicating matters, the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), which has extensive experience in similar applications and collaborations with the Ministry of Health, stated that it was not consulted or invited to participate in the project. Questions have been filed in Parliament regarding the contract, and the European Public Prosecutor's Office is actively investigating, as the program contract was financed by the Recovery Fund. Despite legal actions taken by Gavi against media outlets, new aspects of the case continue to emerge.

No participation or opinion was requested for the project, even though NTUA has many years of experience in similar applications and cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

— Article TextHighlights the exclusion of NTUA from the project despite its expertise.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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