Former OPEKEPE Leaders Guilty; Document Export Charge Upgraded to Crime

The Athens Tri‑Misdemeanor Court convicted former OPEKEPE head Dimitris Mela, who led the agency in 2021‑2022, and former director of Immediate Assistance and Technical Projects Athanasia Reppa. Both were found guilty of jointly aiding a criminal and breaching their official duties.

The prosecutor requested that the third charge – illegal export of documents – be reclassified from a misdemeanor to a felony because the estimated loss exceeds €120,000. The court accepted this request, upgrading the offence to a crime and ordering the case to be heard by the Criminal Appeals Court.

The defendants asked for a mitigating factor based on their previous good conduct, which the majority of judges accepted despite the prosecutor’s objection. Sentencing will be determined after the court reconvenes.

"Οι κατηγορούμενοι επέδειξαν συμπεριφορά που δεν ταιριάζει με το επαγγελματικό προφίλ τους. Δεν επρόκειτο για αμέλεια. Με πρόθεση απέκρυψαν από τον εισαγγελέα την έκθεση του 2020..." – European prosecutor Anastasios Panagakos.