Greece: Inmate Accused of Running "Ghost" Companies for Subsidy Fraud

Authorities in Northern Greece have uncovered a sophisticated fraud scheme involving a 71-year-old inmate who allegedly used two non-operational "ghost" companies to issue fake invoices and illegally claim agricultural subsidies from the European Union.

The accused, already serving time for other offenses, is believed to have managed these companies, based in Central Macedonia, which lacked any real commercial activity, registered addresses, or banking transactions. These entities were used to generate fraudulent invoices and fake seed certification labels, which were then provided to farmers.

Farmers used these fabricated documents to submit to the Organization for Central Payment and Control of Agricultural Resources (OPEKEPE) to illegally obtain financial aid. Investigations revealed that one company issued fake invoices worth over 440,000 euros to 368 counterparties, while the second issued invoices totaling over 185,000 euros to 151 counterparties. In total, 289 producers are implicated in submitting these fraudulent documents.

The financial damage to the EU is estimated at over 227,000 euros. During a search of the accused's residence, investigators seized company documents, seals, customer lists, a hard drive, and a printer. The case file is being forwarded to the Greek office of the European Public Prosecutor's Office, highlighting the cross-border implications of this agricultural subsidy fraud.