A new political clash has erupted between the government and the main opposition party, PASOK, over revelations concerning OPEKEPE. The controversy was sparked by a report in ‘Kathimerini’, which prompted PASOK to demand answers from the Prime Minister while government sources accused the opposition of misreading media reports and omitting key conclusions.
According to government insiders, the article published by ‘Kathimerini’ confirms that OPEKEPE’s former president, Evangelos Simandrakos, had expressed concerns as early as late 2023—after the elections and before Christmas—about not paying certain flagged tax identification numbers (AFMs). It is reported that Simandrakos identified approximately 9,300 problematic AFMs and advised against their inclusion in payments.
Government sources noted that at the time, Giannis Bratakos, then Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, allowed these exclusions to proceed without intervention. This means that 2023 payments were executed exactly as decided by OPEKEPE’s leadership, excluding those flagged AFMs—something contrary to what PASOK claims to have understood.
PASOK, on the other hand, insists that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis must answer critical questions. In a statement, the party said: ‘As revealed today by “Kathimerini,” two information notes sent by Simandrakos to Bratakos in November and December 2023 detailed the existence of 9,309 problematic AFMs that were excluded from payments.’
The socialist party accused the government of covering up corruption within OPEKEPE and criticized the Prime Minister for playing down his awareness of the issue. They asked pointedly whether Mitsotakis was informed about these irregularities by his closest aide and why such a massive scandal was hidden for two years.
PASOK concluded by asserting that the latest revelations confirm the existence of a network involving ND party bosses, auditors, and OPEKEPE officials who enjoyed high-level protection within the government.