Two more New Democracy officials stepped down following allegations of involvement in corruption over the mismanagement of European Union farming subsidies.
The case stems from the alleged mismanagement of EU subsidies for agriculture between 2019 and 2022 by a government agency, OPEKEPE, tasked with handling the funds.
Andreas Karasarinis, secretary of the ruling party’s agricultural organizations, and Yiannis Troullinos, a member of its political committee, submitted their resignations to New Democracy’s Secretary of the Political Committee, Kostas Skrekas, who accepted them.
Troullinos was an associate of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Giannis Kefalogiannis, who ended his cooperation with the ND cadre in Crete on Friday.
The resignations came after their names were mentioned in a 3,000-page case file forwarded to the Greek Parliament by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office which includes excerpts of conversations recorded by the National Intelligence Service (EYP) as part of the investigation. Members of parliament enjoy immunity from prosecution in Greece that can only be lifted by parliamentary vote.
The resignations come after five high-ranking government officials, including a minister and three deputy ministers, resigned Friday over the same case.
The officials who resigned are Minister of Migration Makis Voridis, Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Hatzivasileiou, Deputy Minister of Rural Development Dionysis Stamenitis, Deputy Minister of Digital Governance Christos Boukoros, and Secretary General of Rural Development and Food Giorgos Stratakos.