A revealing letter from former OPEKEPE president Vangelis Simandrakos to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office sheds new light on the political pressures that preceded his resignation in December 2023. The letter, published by EfSyn, outlines how Simandrakos was removed from his post following a wave of resignations at the Greek Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aids (OPEKEPE), allegedly orchestrated by then Minister of Rural Development and Food, Lefteris Avgenakis.

According to Simandrakos, a crucial email dated 4 November 2023 was sent to the Prime Minister’s office via Yiannis Bratakos (Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and head of the PM’s office), with copies to former Minister Makis Voridis and government official Stavros Papastavrou. The email detailed Avgenakis’ involvement in the freezing of 9,309 VAT numbers – 5,586 of them in Crete – after irregularities emerged in relation to the October 2023 advance payments of EU agricultural subsidies. These irregularities, Simandrakos claims, were the result of political interference through Giorgos Stratakos, then Secretary General at the Ministry of Rural Development.

Following his initial communication, Simandrakos met with Bratakos, Voridis and Papastavrou. At that meeting, they reportedly acknowledged his decision not to resign and supported his continuation as president of the agency. However, after further communications on 8 December – and despite the successful completion of scheduled subsidy payments – Simandrakos was summoned again. In a meeting on 28 December, the same three officials demanded his resignation.

By that point, Avgenakis, acting through Stratakos, had already engineered the mass resignation of the agency’s entire board of directors. The first to step down was Vice President Kyriakos Babasidis, who would go on to replace Simandrakos as president. The move, Simandrakos notes, left a “worst impression” on European Commission services, which had already raised concerns.

“I was forced to resign against my will on 29 December 2023,” Simandrakos writes. “Mr Babasidis, who had pretextually resigned as Vice President, was then appointed President of OPEKEPE by Mr Avgenakis.”

The letter concludes by pointing out that Babasidis, now at the centre of the agency, is one of the key figures whose recorded conversations have recently come to light as part of the EPPO investigation.

______________________________________________

Are you seeking news from Greece presented from a progressive, non-mainstream perspective? Subscribe monthly or annually to support TPP International in delivering independent reporting in English. Don’t let Greek progressive voices fade.

Make sure to reference “TPP International” and your order number as the reason for payment.