Kövesi ‘shocked’ at past Greek fraud rules – Suspects ‘paid back and were free to go’

“…Speaking on a panel titled “The Shock of the New”, Kövesi said the EPPO had initially been taken aback by how fraud cases were handled. She added that legal reforms followed exchanges with Greek authorities, describing them as aligned with European standards for addressing fraud and financial crime.

“We were a little bit shocked at the beginning because what we saw in Greece was that if you commit fraud, you steal money, you are caught, you pay back the money, and you are free to go. How come? It was a shock for us, and we discussed this. This is not possible […] But the Greek authorities changed this law… very good. This is the European way to do things, and once you enter the EPPO, you have to accept this.”

Kövesi also reflected more broadly on challenges, saying: “There is nothing more difficult than to fight with mentality. You can have the perfect laws, but if the mentality is wrong […] I am tired of hearing that this is how things are in Greece. I don’t believe that the Greek people accept corruption as a way of life, and I admire all the people who dare to take a stand and be different.”

Speaking about the ongoing investigation into OPEKEPE, she said: “The main topic here is what really happened in OPEKEPE,” describing the now-defunct agency as “an acronym for corruption, nepotism and clientelism.” Her remarks came in response to the recent lifting of the immunity of 13 MPs allegedly involved in the farm subsidies scandal…”