It was shortly after New Year’s Day 2017 when 17 teams from OPEKEPE and the authorities rushed to Lepenou in Aitoloakarnania. A series of complaints and a statement claiming that Lepenou ranked second in the world, after Texas, in cattle numbers, had triggered the authorities. Local lore suggests that, for days, cows in the area were being moved from one farm to another in the back of trucks, so that the animals declared—and for which subsidies had been paid—would match the official records.

Inspections revealed discrepancies between the number of declared animals and those raised. Subsidies were cut, fines imposed, and seventy livestock farmers from the village went on trial, though most were ultimately acquitted.

Christos Magirias and Kalliopi Semertzidou

Among those audited in the so-called “Lepenou scandal” was Christos Magirias. Although the 50-year-old divides his time between Kalambaka and Metsovo, his name appeared in a complaint involving 167 farmers accused of receiving illegal subsidies. However, no wrongdoing was proven on his part.

Recently, Magirias and his partner, Calliope (Poppy) Semertzidou, have come under renewed public attention. The couple defies the stereotypical image of rural livestock farmers. Their business interests now include a car rental company in Kalambaka. In Epirus, particularly in Zagori, locals recall the challenge of seeing the large cattle breeder navigating cobblestone streets in his beloved Ferrari.

“I have a turnover of millions”

Magirias has openly acknowledged that he and his mother received €1.5 million in subsidies over six years, of which €96,000 went to his partner. “I have a turnover of millions, a large livestock operation, and everything is fully justified. I have been audited repeatedly and have always been compliant,” he said. He told THEMA that €87,000 of the subsidy his partner received went toward purchasing tractors as part of a project to upgrade her equipment. “She bought the tractor, the cheapest of the three options under the program,” he explained.

Regarding his partner, a former politician in Kozani with New Democracy, Magirias claimed the scrutiny is politically motivated. “She doesn’t deserve what’s happening. She’s receiving threats and abusive messages, all because she was involved in politics,” he said, adding that he himself nearly ran for office with New Democracy in 2012.

Better Young Farmers

Poppy Semertzidou, originally from Xirolimni in Kozani, grew up in Germany, where her parents had emigrated. After returning to Greece and completing her studies in marketing, she opened a café-restaurant in Kozani and later, together with her brother, began cultivating aromatic and medicinal plants across 300 acres.

The siblings vertically integrate their operations, producing and standardizing cosmetics and other products for sale in Greece and abroad. In 2018, they were recognized in Brussels as Best Young Greek Farmers—a distinction that helped pave the way for Semertzidou’s political career. In the 2019 elections, her slogan “I choose the new generation” won her 3,210 votes, but she ranked sixth, missing a parliamentary seat. In 2023, she ran for regional councilor with the Kasapidis team, receiving 2,311 votes, but again was not elected.

Money laundering investigation

Semertzidou is now reportedly one of ten individuals under investigation by the Authority for potential money laundering. OPEKEPE offices were recently raided for data, files, and documents to verify whether the subsidies these individuals received in recent years were legally obtained. Magirias and Semertzidou came into focus when the Money Laundering Authority froze the assets of two farmers who had received unusually high subsidies, one reportedly identified as Magirias.

Semertzidou publicly stated that they have not been contacted or harassed by any authority. “The authorities handling the case know exactly who is under scrutiny. Why not clarify that it isn’t us? The subsidies we received are entirely legitimate,” she said. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is conducting a preliminary investigation into the subsidies received by the Magirias-Semertzidou family.

The Ferrari and the farm

The couple has been together for over a decade, living between Trikala and Kalambaka. Semertzidou often drives her partner’s luxury cars, including a Ferrari (2004) and a Porsche (2016). Magirias asserts that his income fully justifies both the purchase and maintenance of the vehicles.

Christos Magirias and his sisters represent the third generation of their family in livestock breeding. Their grandfather began in the Metsovo area around 1920, eventually managing a herd of over 5,000 goats and sheep. Magirias’ father, Alekos, expanded the operation, acquiring large tracts of land in Corfu and Igoumenitsa. While some land was later expropriated to build the port of Igoumenitsa, the family retains significant assets and liquidity.

The family breeds primarily Greek goats and sheep and began raising cattle in 1993. Magirias now owns over 250 cattle—more than his mother—so the subsidies in her name are larger than his. “I’ve been checked and rechecked. Anyone counting my animals has confirmed them,” he claims, with Semertzidou posting photos of the herds to substantiate the claim.

1,000 cows

In a report for Ypithro Chora, the couple described transporting nearly 1,000 cattle from Kalambaka to pastures in Metsovo. The operation involves ten people, 36 dogs, and drones to ensure none of the animals are left behind. The cattle are moved to Milies in Metsovo, which has 47,000 acres of pasture. In Kalambaka, animals graze alongside 1,000 goats and sheep on 6,500 acres, and Magirias cultivates 300 acres of alfalfa and oats to meet winter feed requirements.

Past police attention

Magirias’ Ferrari has attracted attention before. In 2015, as part of a police operation investigating antiquities theft, authorities searched his livestock facilities. They found the Ferrari and three other vehicles in a garage next to the stables. During a subsequent search of his home, three firearms—family heirlooms from World War II—were seized. No criminal proceedings were pursued after Magirias explained their historical value.