Greek agricultural figure 'Frapes' to stand trial for false testimony in OPEKEPE scandal, hearing set for February 2027
Giorgos Xylouris, known as 'Frapes', will appear before an Athens misdemeanor court on 16 February 2027, charged with false testimony after invoking the right to silence before a parliamentary committee investigating the OPEKEPE subsidies scandal.
## Background
Giorgos Xylouris, widely known by the nickname 'Frapes', is a senior figure in a large agricultural cooperative on Crete. His name surfaced in connection with the OPEKEPE scandal, an investigation into the distribution of agricultural subsidies by Greece's payment authority. The probe, which also drew attention from the European Public Prosecutor's Office, examined outsized subsidy payments and the family's assets, including a Porsche registered to Xylouris's 25-year-old son.
The parliamentary committee appearances
Xylouris was summoned twice to testify before the parliamentary investigative committee examining OPEKEPE. He refused to appear when first called in November 2025. After a second summons, he did attend on 11 December 2025, but declined to answer questions from lawmakers. Through a written memorandum, he invoked the right to silence, arguing that he was not obliged to testify. The committee's minutes were subsequently forwarded to the Athens prosecutor's office.
The charges
The prosecutor's preliminary investigation led to two separate criminal charges. The first, for disobedience, concerns his initial refusal to appear before the committee. The second, for false testimony, stems from his silence during the December appearance. Under Greek law, a witness who invokes the right to silence without holding the formal status of a suspect in a criminal investigation may face prosecution for false testimony, a misdemeanour offence.
The two trials
Both cases are now heading to court. The disobedience trial was originally scheduled earlier but has been postponed and is now expected to take place in October 2026, at the start of the new judicial year. The false testimony trial has been set for 16 February 2027, before the IB' Single-Member Misdemeanor Court of Athens. The court will examine whether Xylouris's refusal to answer constituted a criminal act.
- First summons to parliamentary committee; Xylouris refuses to appear.
- Second appearance before committee; invokes right to silence.
- Trial for disobedience (postponed from earlier date).
- Trial for false testimony at IB' Single-Member Misdemeanor Court of Athens.
What comes next
Xylouris will face two separate hearings within a span of a few months. The autumn disobedience trial will address his failure to comply with the initial summons, while the February 2027 hearing will focus on the substance of his silence before the committee. No further postponements have been announced, and the cases are expected to proceed as scheduled.
