[Illustration by Alexandros Avramidis]
A Thessaly livestock farmer and his partner, a former New Democracy candidate, are under investigation over subsidies worth millions of euros, amid a social media storm linking them to alleged irregularities.
Christos Mageirias, known for owning a Ferrari alongside hundreds of cattle, sought ND candidacy in 2012 but was excluded. His partner, Kalliopi Semertzidou, ran unsuccessfully in 2019 and later became ND’s coordinator for community resources, resigning after reports they and relatives received up to €2.5 million in subsidies from 2019-2024.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office and Greece’s Anti-Money Laundering Authority are probing whether payments from OPEKEPE, the farm subsidy agency, were lawful. Mageirias insists “there is no dark spot” and plans legal action against critics.
Past police investigations, including one in 2015 over alleged antiquities trafficking, led to no charges against him. Both deny wrongdoing, calling the affair a politically motivated attack.