The OPEKEPE scandal continues to shake the political landscape, with countless allegations of illegal subsidies emerging, some of which are shocking in nature. The Live News show has exposed incredible incidents and accusations regarding the OPEKEPE fraud, where landowners face immense difficulties proving ownership over their own properties.
In one case, a citizen revealed the unthinkable — his farmland was registered under someone else’s tax ID (AFM). He stated that he would have to go to court just to prove rightful ownership of his own land. ‘They told me before this scandal broke that my land was registered under another AFM. I will file a lawsuit not for myself, but for fraud. You cannot declare something on the E9 form that doesn’t belong to you — it’s deception.’
Another report came from Sitia, Crete. A landowner explained how after reporting digital squatting of his property to OPEKEPE, instead of launching an investigation, the organization advised him to take evidence directly to the prosecutor. He had officially leased the land through taxisnet five years ago to a local herder who later called him in distress, saying he couldn’t register the land due to conflicting claims by large herders from Rethymno.
‘I have contracts, topographic maps, registry entries, and even forest classification for these 20 stremmas,’ the owner said. ‘I decided to lease them since I live in Athens. When the herder called me upset, I found out the area was claimed by others from Rethymno. I looked into it, got worried when I heard rumors about drugs, and tried to file a complaint — only to be told I needed a final court decision first.’
A third case emerged from Achaea. Residents attempting to declare burned fields discovered they had already been claimed by three unknown individuals via OPEKEPE. They were advised by officials to drop the matter and redo the paperwork themselves. Hiring a lawyer was too costly at €2,000, so they gave up.
Now, the OPEKEPE website allows both anonymous and named complaints, though complainants’ identities may still be partially protected. Meanwhile, an app called AgriSnap is meant to help beneficiaries submit photos proving eligibility of agricultural plots, yet its effectiveness remains questionable amid ongoing fraud.