Athens court convicts former OPEKEPE officials for burying subsidy fraud report; 5-year suspended sentence imposed

The verdict

The Athens Three-Member Misdemeanor Court unanimously found Dimitris Melas and Athanasia Reppa guilty of harbouring a criminal and dereliction of duty, both misdemeanours. The court sentenced them to 5 years and 8 months imprisonment, suspended pending appeal, and imposed a travel ban until the separate felony charge is tried. Melas, a former New Democracy politician, led OPEKEPE from 2021 to 2022; Reppa headed the Direct Aid and Technical Works Directorates and now works at the Recovery Fund.

The Tycheropoulou report

The case stems from a 2020 audit ordered by then-OPEKEPE president Grigoris Varras after a sharp increase in pastureland declarations in 2018 raised suspicions of systematic fraud. Inspector Paraskevi Tycheropoulou identified 80 to 99 suspicious tax registration numbers (AFM) with potentially fraudulent subsidy claims. The defendants, who held senior positions at the time, were accused of failing to forward the report to the prosecutor, effectively burying it from November 2020 to July 2022.

After a months-long hearing, the court was convinced that in 2018 there was a striking increase in pastureland numbers... there were suspicions of systematic fraud and channelling of funds through mechanisms to producers. In this environment, the then new OPEKEPE president Grigoris Varras took over and ordered an audit, under which Paraskevi Tycheropoulou recorded her findings and submitted a report. In this environment and having knowledge of the problems that indicate knowledge by Melas and Reppa, the two defendants, according to the court's judicial conviction, did not perform the acts they were obliged to perform.

Prosecutor's stance and sentence

Prosecutor Anastasios Panagakos had urged the court to deny suspension and send the defendants to prison, arguing there was a risk of repeat offences and citing Reppa's current position at the Recovery Fund. He proposed a €100,000 bail, monthly police station appearances, and a ban on public sector employment. The defence countered that such conditions would amount to premature punishment before appeal. The court granted suspension but imposed only the travel ban.

Here we have harbouring a criminal and dereliction of duty from November 2020 to July 2022. The two defendants not only did not send the Tycheropoulou report but a series of actions were orchestrated. The report was not sent to the prosecutor, much later the cases were re-examined by regional directorates, but in the meantime some producers had received 260 thousand euros.

Felony charge referred

The court separated the charge of document theft, upgrading it from a misdemeanour to a felony because the total damage exceeded €120,000. This charge will be tried by the Athens Three-Member Felony Appeals Court. The court also decided to send the trial records to the European Public Prosecutor's Office for use in ongoing investigations into subsidy declaration centres (KYD), OPEKEPE staff, and potential political responsibility.

Reaction and next steps

The verdict drew shouts of "unfair" from the audience. The court recognised by majority (2-1) the mitigating circumstance of a previously law-abiding life for both defendants, over the prosecutor's objection. The suspended sentence means Melas and Reppa remain free while their appeal is pending, but they are barred from leaving Greece. The separate felony trial will determine further liability.