The leader of Elliniki Lysi, Kyriakos Velopoulos, spoke to Live News about the OPEKEPE scandal and political developments. When asked whether his party has a chance at governing, Velopoulos stated that they are ready, as long as the Greek people place their trust in them.
‘We want to govern because what I see in Parliament has left me disillusioned,’ he said. ‘I don’t comment on polls, nor do I believe in them. We aim for autonomy. For me to cooperate with someone, I need to trust them—and I don’t trust these people. How can I trust a prime minister who is involved in a scandal like OPEKEPE, where he himself has received subsidies? I won’t get into any coalitions. When you shake hands with someone whose hands are dirty, your own will become dirty too.’
Regarding the OPEKEPE scandal, Velopoulos added: ‘Yesterday, I denounced in Parliament that four ministers from ND and the prime minister himself have declared pastures, and I asked if they rented them out or received subsidies. They didn’t respond. Today, I learned that the prime minister personally received €30,000 in subsidies. You go and collect state aid while owning millions in assets? I’ll wait to see if it’s illegal, but it’s definitely politically unethical. It’s shameful. Four of his ministers also have declared pastures.’
Velopoulos also pointed out that he had previously questioned the prime minister regarding OPEKEPE back in 2020. ‘In 2020, we submitted 91 questions about what was happening inside OPEKEPE, and never got a single response. In 2024, I addressed the House about the “Frappé” case, stating that he was illegally receiving subsidies along with a criminal gang involving blue-blood kids who were sharing the funds. In June 2024, I warned that the Public Prosecutor would come down hard on all of us regarding the Recovery Fund. Many cases remain open. A lot of people will end up behind bars.’
He continued by explaining how the subsidy process works: ‘The regional veterinary service is required to count the declared sheep. Therefore, this is also a regional issue. In Crete, farmers filed objections through a kiosk, paying €7 for a ready-made application. To receive subsidies, a blood test must be conducted to prove the animals are infected. Only one center can perform that test. The region of Heraklion was responsible, and the official deputy overseeing the process was Mr. Hnaris, now an MP for PASOK. Androulakis must explain himself—he may have failed in his duties, allowing sheep to disappear left and right.’
On Syriza’s involvement, Velopoulos claimed that during the time of their governance, Mr. Pitsilis issued a circular stating that if someone declares renting land for under €80 for 500 stremmata, they aren’t obligated to report it to the tax office. ‘This means the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) cannot conduct audits. We’re talking about scams within scams. Mr. Pitsilis bears significant responsibility as he never carried out cross-checks.’
Regarding New Democracy, he concluded: ‘Unfortunately, ND has turned into “New Indictment.” It’s a party of Korydallos [prison]. Today, someone made a complaint to me—they are being threatened with a Kalashnikov for exposing the OPEKEPE scam for years. These people are mafiosi. Things got tight because the European Public Prosecutor got involved.’