“I never made illegal payment, I never negotiated, demanded or blackmailed to get some amount.”

This was stated to the Inquiry Committee, which is investigating the OPEKEPE case for illegal subsidies, Dimitris Melas, former president of the Organization from March 2021 as July 2022.

Mr. Melas has been head of the Directorate of Immediate Aid and Market and Technical Works Directorate for many years, while he was a service minister. Rural Development and Food in Papadimou Government.

During his long deposition, Mr Melas rejected all the accusations against him, answering the persistent questions of the Members of the Dialogues of Conservations that have seen the light of publicity and the prosecution that has been exerted for a document.

“The investigation of the case is respected. But in what concerns me, no illegal payment, in the broader sense, whether unique or collective I have done, or any illegal act, “he noted.

Mr Melas categorically denied that he made any facility on issues with controlled VAT ID or that he was paid, describing the talks recorded in the raids, ordered by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and saw the light of publicity.

“I never made illegal payment, I never negotiated, demanded or blackmailed to get an amount,” he said and added:

“There are many ways to present dialogues. The interest and true value of the content of the dialogue is whether it has been done. This determines one’s honesty, all over the year. The dialogue takes place for a variety of reasons. Many times to handle some people. Many times it is a private conversation with someone. In any case the value is in practice. No illegal payment in the broader sense, neither the unique nor the collective. I haven’t done any illegal act. “

Called to respond to PASOK rapporteur Milena Apostolakis for a specific involvement for a controlled VAT ID, recorded in the landscapes, Mr Melas spoke of “a conversation with a friend for over 10 years, who asked for a facility for another man, who was in charge.”

“To date, for 2021, the man is unpaid,” he noted.

“Former OPEKEPE President Gregory Varas sends you a strict letter, 9 November 2020 and accuses you that there is a stubbornness in these VAT checks. However, you release the VAT IDs and pay the aid without any control in November to December, ”was asked by Mrs Apostolakis.

“I do not pay, but the other president, Mr. Papas, who asked for and received evaluation from the services.

Mr Papas, as soon as he took over as president of OPEKEPE, was clearly informed and clearly took my opinion for the services to be inspected, to commit to what there were findings and those who do not have to pay. Mr Papas asked to make a suggestion on what measures to be taken and had a response. I assure you – I asked him about it – that nothing was paid that was not to be paid. They were paid with control, “he replied and continued, leaving a spike for Mr Vara.

“Anyone can blame anyone. I ask the following. Mr Varas, who was there until November 25, – know that he was leaving October 27 and Mr. Papas is coming – why were all control commands at that time? Couldn’t it be done earlier? “

Mr. Melas described the accusation as “completely uncomplicated” for an embezzlement of a document, stressing:

“I didn’t say the category well or unfounded. I said they never disappeared documents from me. It is the argument. It has no basis, it does not make sense for a person to accuse of hiding or stole a document that today, at the moment, if you go to ask the service, OPEKEPE’s integrated inflammatory system, there are media, registered and tested – and located at all times – all the elements of the content of the file. If you ask, there is recorded, so what should I say, that I have disappeared? I never touched my folder. “

In the highlight of SYRIZA’s rapporteur, Vasilis Kokkalis, if he is concerned that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office refers to a criminal organization, Mr. Melas replied:

“I’m not in them anyway.”

He also argued that “he is the first president, the only one who resigned substantially and formally, without asking for his resignation”.

Mr Melas categorically rejected the objections that he was a “privileged interlocutor and man of Maki Voridis”, but also that “he was ever asked to facilitate a VAT ID”.

“Mr. Voridis never asked for and I don’t think he ever dealt with the VAT. If there were other interventions I don’t know it, “he said.

“In the one and a half years when you were Vice President of OPECEPE, did you have special contact with Mr. Voridis? He was asked by ND rapporteur Makarios Lazaridis.

“The only contact I had with Mr Voridis, also mentioned in the House himself, was when in the pre -election period for the European elections I would like to support him to influence my face. She replied very honestly, that I have another choice, Mrs Asimakopoulou, but I will see what to do. From then on we met in a pie cut. We had no common circle with Mr. Voridis, we had no common contacts, “he replied.

Also characteristic was Mr Mela’s reference that “OPEKEPE does not pursue a policy, it is politics with what it can mean”.

As he said, “it is a bottle neck that concludes a series of factors, which eventually reach the final payment of beneficiaries.”

“So problems, pathogens can be due to all these factors and cause problems.

What I saw in 2008-2009 and now from 2019 to 2022 there is a tugboat. On the one hand it is an inelastic community framework and on the other a national framework, which often has changes based on governments and ministers. So this is a difficult balance, a difficult exercise, “he said.

Mr. Melas attributed the problems created with OPEKEPE, in four main reasons:

-pron: In non -completion of grazing management plans

-Fit: in the lack of a complete land registry that would enable elasticization of delinquency and

-Titon in the dramatic lack of staff of the organization.

-Fourth, in the state function with decisions of decisions or functions.

He argued that on his own term, “OPECEPE came very close to becoming independent, an attempt was made by the then Minister of Rural Development Spili Lebanon and we arrived in the despite one.”

He denied reports that were opposed to the opposite – along with OPEKEPE officials who were concerned and resisted – to changes in the organization, while insisting that cross -checks were increased during his term.

Concluding his deposition, he reiterated that he in no way concealed the file from the judiciary (concerning the checks for pasture applications, from the National Reserve in the period 2019-2020 carried out by the Head of the OPECEPE Audit Directorate and a European Prosecutor’s Office.

“To declare again extremely sincerely, that I did not get anything from whatever position I left because I had no reason. And the struggle of the situation is that, once I forwarded it to the boss and went to OPEKEPE’s information system, tell me what would it mean if I had hidden it or burned? ” he said.