“The case file transmitted ‘inevitable’ to the House is formal. It contains no category against me. There is not a single element that involves me in person. It does not include any act or command of me relating to OPECEPE“, The former Minister of Rural Development says Lefteris Avgenakis In a post on Facebook on the OPECEPE case.

Mr Avgenakis further states, inter alia, that “the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has not filed any charges. According to Article 86 of the Constitution, he forwarded the file to the House for institutional reasons. There is not a single element linking me with any act of intervention in OPECEPE “and adds that” the case file itself contains transcribed third -party conversations with references to my name, without any evidence. And all this, at a time when I was not Minister of Rural Development and I was out of the New Democracy. ” He also notes that for the former president of OPEKEPE, Evangelos Simandrakos, his resignation was requested as early as October 2023.

In detail, Mr. Avgenakis’ post:

House – Establishment of Inquiry Committee, Plenary Discussion today

The case file transmitted “inadvertently” to the House is formal. It contains no category against me. There is not a single element that involves me in person. It does not include any acts or command related to OPEKEPE.

Let’s put things in their place:

– The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has not recited any category. According to Article 86 of the Constitution, he forwarded the file to the House for institutional reasons. There is not a single element that links me to any act of intervention in OPECEPE.

– The case file itself contains transcribed third -party conversations with references to my name, without any evidence. And all this, at a time when I was not Minister of Rural Development and I was out of the New Democracy.

– For the former president of OPEKEPE, Evangelos Simandrakos, his resignation was requested as early as October 2023 due to:

• Huge mistakes in payments of 2022 and 2023, which cost hundreds of millions of euros in Greece.

• Payments of “Employment” of EUR 31 million despite the negative contributions of the services, a fact unacceptable by the EU.

• Inadequate or non -existent contracts with technical advisers, with no clear results.

• Non -cooperation with the Certificate of Certification (SOL), reaching the point of putting OPEKEPE under committees by the European Commission.

• Zero disposal of reform and transparency in the functioning of the body.

– Note that asking your existing resignation is not a criminal offense!

And yet, in none of the 4 official information he sent me (July -December 2023), nor in his resignation, Mr. Simandrakos does not mention pressure or committed VAT. He cites them … for the first time in his deposition, months later, without a single recorded report.

– When was I officially informed of the bound VAT? Just in March 2024, by the then President of OPEKEPE, Mr. Babasidis. And I immediately carried out checks and unblocking those who were entitled to be paid.

From 16,548 VAT:

– Checked 7,545

– 6.815 were released

– 730 were referred to justice

– What does PASOK do today?

He submits a proposal that stops in the 2022 figures, because he has found nothing in the coming years. He chooses to bypass the events and target me politically, Makis Voridis and the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

– What does SYRIZA do?

He denounces the so -called “technical solution” as a “scandal”, which he himself legislated in 2017. That is, he denounces his own institutional framework.

– And why? To build a fake narrative of supposed pressure and scandals. But the truth is one:

There is no criminal indication of my face.

There is absolutely no offense.

Whatever I did, it was done with transparency, institutionality and respect for the Greek farmer and taxpayer.

The government is rightly proposing the establishment of an Inquiry Committee in order to investigate in depth all the pathogens of the organization from 1998 until today!