Greek minister resigns over scandal involving fraud in EU agricultural subsidies

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - Greek Migration Minister Makis Voridis, also a former agriculture minister, on Friday resigned due to a major scandal involving fraud in the EU agricultural subsidies.

Apart from Voridis, Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Hatzivasileiou, Deputy Minister of Rural Development Dionysis Stamenitis, Deputy Minister of Digital Governance Christos Boukoros, and Secretary General of the Rural Development and Food Ministry Giorgos Stratakos also resigned, announced government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis on Friday.

Their replacements will be announced in the coming days, he added.

Meanwhile, Voridis insisted on his innocence in the resignation letter, which was read by Marinakis.

“To devote myself fully to what is most important to me, defending my innocence before the (Greek) parliament, as well as protecting my honor and reputation, I hereby submit my resignation from the position of migration and asylum minister, and kindly request that you accept it,” he said.

On June 19, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that it has launched an investigation against two former Greek agriculture ministers, Makis Voridis and Lefteris Avgenakis, in connection with a major fraud involving the bloc’s agricultural subsidies.

Earlier, Greek media reported that the European Commission has fined Greece €392.2 million (approximately $453.4 million) concerning the subsidy fraud, which allegedly dates back to 2016.