New cases of abusive aid applications, 20 more, are brought to light by “THEMA”, revealing how fictitious leases and false declarations were set up to draw community funds of tens of thousands of euros.

Scent of a Woman

The female element dominates the spotlight, as most cases involve women who appeared to own or lease land through family networks, even with landlords including monasteries, ministries, regions, and public bodies!

Typical examples include a woman from Viano in Crete who allegedly secured 27,488 euros by declaring fields belonging to the Ministry of Environment, another from Trikala who got 54.292 euros with a leaseholder Holy Monastery, a beneficiary from Peania who obtained 53,165 euros by declaring fields of a monastery, while in Kozani unfolded a wide family network with hundreds of areas to appear as property or lease of first-degree relatives. All the cases stem from the thorough checks by the so-called “Greek FBI”, i.e., the Directorate for Combating Organized Crime, and account and asset freezes have already been signed by the department’s supervising prosecutor. Below, “THEMA” presents in detail and separately the most typical cases that are now under the microscope of the authorities.

Agios Dimitrios of Kozani
€59,000 for 376 parcels of land

In Agios Dimitrios Kozani, a man appeared to own either as owner or lessee in 2023 and 2024 hundreds of parcels of land. Specifically, 376 plots in 2023 and 213 in 2024, resulting in a total of 59,050 euros. The detail that sets the tone of the case is that a large part of the parcels were allegedly from first-degree relatives (father, mother, brother), but also from other local residents.

The list of tenants includes more than 20 different people, while land belonging to the Region of Western Macedonia was even declared. OPEKEPE’s checks concluded that the fields were not at the disposal of the beneficiary, nor were there any titles or leases to substantiate the declarations. As a result, they were rejected in their entirety, and the case has now gone the way of the justice system, with the freezing of accounts and assets.

Upper Lioscia
€23,403 for pasture land in Crete

A man from Ano Liosia secured €23,403 over three years, 2022-2024, by declaring that he was leasing three plots of land in Crete for pasture. The leases appeared to come from a relative based in Rethymno. The special feature: in 2022, when he was audited, he failed to produce any legal title deeds or lease, and the parcels were deemed to be rejected. However, the same parcels were declared again in 2023 and 2024 as if there had been no rejection.

Rethymno
€31,900 fora  Georgian woman with land in Ithaca

A woman, a citizen of Georgia and a resident of Rethymnon, declared in the three years 2022-2024 that she owned fields in Ithaca: four in 2022, seven in 2023, and seven in 2024. In this way, she received a total of EUR 31,909 in Community aid. The audit carried out by OPEKEPE for the years 2022-2023 showed that there was no title deed. The only ‘proof’ that appeared was an E9, which is not considered a legal document. Thus, all parcels were rejected. Nevertheless, she redeclared them in 2024.

Drama
€64,000 for 57 parcels of land from 20 lessors

In Choristi Drama, a woman submitted applications to OPEKEPE from 2019 to 2024, showing each year that she leased dozens of parcels of land for cultivation. In 2019, she declared 57 plots, in 2020 she declared 53, in 2021, 39, in 2022, 40, in 2023, 38, and in 202,4, also 38. During these six years, he received a total of 64,377 euros in Community aid.

The detail that stands out is the breadth of the “network”: the list of landlords includes more than 20 different persons, residents of Drama or neighbouring areas, but also from outside the prefecture. However, in all the checks carried out by OPEKEPE, no legal lease was presented, resulting in the rejection of all the declared land.

Kozani
€103,000 for 55 to 60 parcels of land

In Agios Dimitrios Kozani, a man appeared for six consecutive years (2019-2024) with dozens of parcels of land in his name, sometimes as owner and sometimes as lessee. His applications covered between 55 and 60 parcels each year, resulting in a total of 103,822 euros in aid. The outstanding element in the case is the long list of lessors, which included more than ten different persons, among them his relatives (such as sons and daughter), but also public bodies, such as the Region of Western Macedonia and the Municipality of Kozani.

Nea Alikarnassos
€37,400 for 30 ghost fields

For three consecutive years, a woman from Nea Alikarnassos, Heraklion, claimed to lease 30 fields from 27 different landlords. She received a total of 37,386 euros. The audit did not find a single legal lease. All the parcels of land were rejected. Nevertheless, in 2024, he declared the same fields again, disregarding the previous rejection.

Prosecutors ordered the freezing of all bank accounts, safe deposit boxes, and assets. At the same time, OPEKEPE was informed to recover the amount and the Anti-Laundering Authority was informed to investigate possible money laundering.

Haraka Monofatsiou
€29,400 between…

A man from Harakas Tower Monofatsiou managed to receive a total of €29,438 for the years 2020, 2021, and 2023 by showing that he owned one field as owner and six others as tenant. The leases, according to his statements, came from two female relatives. However, the audit revealed the following peculiarity: neither he nor the alleged female lessees ever owned the fields in question! Nor had they registered a lease on Taxisnet. Simply put, the fields were nowhere to be found.

Astraki Heraklion
€37,500 for 24 fields without titles

A woman from Astrakoi in the Municipality of Archanon-Asterousia in the Heraklion Regional Unit managed to get €37,493 over the four-year period 2021-2024 by registering more and more plots each year: 14 in 2021, 18 in 2022, 20 in 2023, and 24 in 2024. The special element of the case is that in the checks of OPEKEP,E Crete did not present any title deed or valid lease. The only proof he showed was an E9 form, which, it is made clear, is not a title deed. As a result, all parcels of land for the years 2021-2023 were deemed ineligible. However, in 2024, he declared the same again as if nothing had happened.

Viannon Hercules
Claimed fields of Lt. Environment

A woman from Viannos secured 27,488 euros over the three-year period 2022-2024 by showing that she leased eight plots of land from two different persons. Her applications were approved and the money was paid out in full. However, during the audit, it was found that the fields declared did not belong to any of the alleged lessors, but to the Ministry of Environment and Energy and a third private person!

In addition, for 2022, all the parcels were found to be rejected because not even the basic contact details were declared. The prosecutor’s order mentions repeated false declarations and ordered the freezing of accounts, safe deposit boxes, and assets. Authorities are investigating whether this is an isolated case or part of a larger, organized scheme.

Trikala
€54,300 for monastery fields

A woman from Trikala received a total of €54,292 over the three-year period 2022-2024 by declaring that she leased 12 plots of land from two sources: a private resident of Trikala and the Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Varson Mantineas in Tripoli. The special element of the case is that in the audit of the OPEKEPE of Western Macedonia for 2022 the woman did not produce a single lease document, although she had been notified in writing. As a result, all the parcels were rejected. Nevertheless, in 2023 and 202,4 she declared again the same fields that had already been deemed ineligible.

Peania
€53,200 for monastery fields

A woman from Peania, Attica, from 2022 to 2024 leased plots of land from both a private individual in Trikala and from the Holy Monastery of St. Nicholas Varson in Arcadia. Based on these statements, he secured a total of 53,165 euros in subsidies.
However, when he was asked by OPEKEPE to produce the lease documents, he did not present the necessary documents, resulting in the rejection of all the fields he had declared. In fact, the same parcels of land reappeared in the applications of the following years, even though they had already been deemed ineligible.

Lefkoyeia Rethymnon
€48,700 in a family circle

A man from Lefkogeia in the Municipality of Agios Vasileiou in the Regional Unit of Rethymnon received in the four years 2019-2022 the amount of €48,624 by declaring that he was leasing two parcels of land from a relative. The aspect that emerged in the audit is crucial: no title deeds were presented even though there was a written notice. As a result, all the parcels declared to be cultivated were rejected. In fact, the same fields were declared in 2019 that were later rejected again in 2021 and 2022.

Alexandroupolis
149 parcels of land with just one E9

A man from Alexandroupoli appeared to own in 2022 and 2023 a total of 149 parcels of land (74 and 75 respectively), securing financial aid of 42,978 euros. The aspect revealed in the audit is disheartening for the operation of the system: the beneficiary did not provide any title deeds! The only proof he produced was an E9, which of course cannot be considered a title. As a result, all the parcels were rejected.

Larani Heraklion
€30,200 for 27 untitled fields

A resident of Larani in the Municipality of Gortyna in the Heraklion Regional Unit declared in 2022 and 2023 that he owned 25 and 27 fields respectively, receiving a total of €30,233 in aid. When the audit was carried out, it was found that there were neither ownership titles nor other legal documents. The only proof presented was an E9 form, which is not recognised as a title. Thus, all parcels were rejected. The case has gone the way of justice, with evidence of repeated false declarations and asset freezing pending the outcome of the investigation.

Heraklion
€25,900 for 35 fields rented without documents

A resident of Karkadiotissa in the Municipality of Heraklion, Crete, declared in 2022 and 2024 that he rented 35 fields for cultivation, receiving a total of €25,898 in subsidies. The aspect that stands out is that these lands were allegedly from a specific lessor without any official lease documents ever being filed. In the OPEKEPE audit for the years 2022 and 2023, the parcels were deemed to be rejected as there was no legal proof of lease. Despite the rejection, the same pattern of declarations continued in 2024.

Dariviana Rethymnon
€36,400 for 17 fields with unreadable titles

A woman from Dariviana in the municipality of Agios Vasileiou in the Regional Unit of Rethymnon declared in 2022, 2023, and 2024 that she was leasing 17 fields for cultivation, receiving a total of €36,372 in aid. During the audit carried out for 2022, the titles filed were described by the OPEKEPE services as “completely unreadable”, resulting in the fields being rejected in their entirety. Nevertheless, the same parcels were declared again the following year despite the previous rejection.

Heraklion
€33,200 for six years of untitled declarations

A woman from Heraklion submitted applications to OPEKEPE from 2019 to 2024, showing that she owned or leased land for cultivation and pasture. Over a six-year perio,d she declared sometimes three, sometimes five or seven fields, earning a total of 33,190 euros.
What stands out is the persistence: for each year, despite the rejections of previous audits, the same parcels of land appeared again and again in the applications. At no stage were valid title deeds or lease documents presented; the auditors noted that the declarations were based only on E9s, which are not considered evidence.

Heraklion
€41,300 from leases without documents

A resident of Heraklion for four consecutive years, from 2021 to 2024, declared to OPEKEPE that he leased parcels of land. Initially, 14 plots came from a private person, while in the following years, nine plots were assigned to another person. During these four years, EUR 41,268 in aid was paid to her. The salient point is that, despite the constant changes in the alleged lessors, at no stage were legal leases submitted. OPEKEPE’s audits for the period 2021-2023 rejected all the declared land, yet the same fields appeared again in 2024.

Heraklion 
€24,000 for 8 ghost fields

A woman from Messochori Pyrgos Monofatsiou Heraklion declared in 2020, 2021, and 2023 that she owned eight fields as owner, resulting in a total of €23,961 in aid. However, the investigation revealed that the fields she had included in her applications did not belong to her, while the property declarations (E9) she submitted were not recognised as titles of ownership. Thus, the lands were deemed to be rejected in their entirety.

Heraklion
Dozens of fields in the air with €43,400 in subsidies

A man from Heraklion appeared from 2020 to 2024 to own dozens of plots of land, from 15 to 48 each year, which he claimed to be leasing from a relative. Based on these applications, he secured aid totalling EUR 43,403. However, the investigation revealed that none of the fields in question had a registered lease in the official information on leases, nor were any documents produced when requested by the OPEKEPE. As a result, the declarations for all years were rejected.