Greek court sentences 57 to prison for illegal subsidies

An Athens court has imposed prison sentences ranging from one to three years, suspended, on 57 defendants from Crete convicted of illegally obtaining subsidies from the Hellenic Organization for Agricultural Insurance (ELGA). The defendants were found to have falsely declared ownership or rental of land in Kastoria, a region where the specific crops they claimed to cultivate, such as olives and almond trees, cannot thrive at the recorded altitudes.

The Tri-member Misdemeanor Court of Athens handed down the sentences after reviewing the case. In addition to the prison terms, 28 of the convicted individuals were also fined amounts varying between 500 and 8,000 euros. The court did not grant any mitigating factors to any of the defendants, indicating the seriousness with which the fraud was viewed.

Furthermore, the court decided to forward the trial records to the European Public Prosecutor's Office. This referral aims to investigate the potential criminal liability of three ELGA inspectors from the Epirus Regional Directorate. They are being investigated for the offense of false certification, a felony, related to their role in the case.

The investigation will also extend to other ELGA officials who allegedly facilitated the release of tax identification numbers (AFM) and the disbursement of subsidies for 2020. This broader inquiry seeks to determine the extent of complicity within the organization and ensure accountability for the misuse of agricultural funds.