The exchange began when Lazaridis repeatedly questioned Mr Tzedakis about agricultural plots declared outside Crete. Mr Tzedakis responded that such declarations were entered automatically by the agency’s system and were the consequence of ministerial decisions, not his own actions. He added that the central problem lay with ministerial orders that allowed the reallocation of pastures.

Lazaridis pressed the point, producing press clippings and alleging that Mr Tzedakis, members of his family and associates in the Region of Crete had benefited from specific subsidy codes. Mr Tzedakis insisted the payments were legitimate and said his own subsidies amounted to only €9,500, with his wife receiving about €3,000, arguing there was no evidence of personal wrongdoing.

The session deteriorated when, in response to repeated interruptions, Mr Tzedakis told Lazaridis to ‘tell this to the Truth Group’. Lazaridis replied sarcastically: ‘The Truth Group, sir, has no pastures in Naoussa.’ The committee chair, Andreas Nikolakopoulos, was obliged to intervene and call for a lower tone.

According to PASOK, the exchanges then turned abusive. Evangelia Liakouli, PASOK’s rapporteur on the committee, defended Mr Tzedakis and publicly excoriated Lazaridis for what she characterised as ‘attacks’ and ‘bullying’. In an official statement PASOK said Lazaridis ‘verbally and physically attacked a witness because he did not like his answers’ and urged Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to remove him from the committee’s role.

‘The Prime Minister must immediately remove the Truth Group employee Makarios Lazaridis from the position of rapporteur on the Investigative Committee,’ PASOK said, adding that Lazaridis’ behaviour amounted to threats of physical violence and a breach of the committee’s rules. The party also accused Lazaridis of acting as a ‘chosen friend’ of the prime minister and of operating on his instructions — charges the party said undercut the committee’s impartiality.

Mr Tzedakis denied any personal role in manipulating pasture declarations and repeated that the OPEKEPE system had automatically reassigned pastures without his intervention. He warned against stigmatizing entire communities for the actions of a few. ‘The farmer is not a suspect. He is a citizen,’ he said.

The committee will continue hearings. The episode will add to political pressure on New Democracy as the parliamentary probe proceeds.

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