Greek OPEKEPE Probe Reduces Alleged Losses to €115,000

A technical review of the OPEKEPE case in Greece found that the previously reported damage of more than €1.2 million was substantially overstated. The report by Paraskevi Tycheropoulou calculates the total loss at €115,000, which does not meet the threshold for a criminal offense. Most of the 23 cases involving New Democracy (ND) MPs show no loss or procedural breach; only minor questionable payments of €744.17 and €3,145.33 were flagged for further eligibility checks.

The investigation also criticises the timing of the European Commission’s dossier, which was sent to parliament on March 30 and only reviewed six days later, raising questions about procedural integrity. While the narrative of a large‑scale political scandal has been promoted, the findings highlight technical shortcomings, delayed payments, and unrelated fraud operations in Crete and northern Greece that do not implicate legislators. As one commentator noted, “the scandal is real and ‘blue’,” but the revised figures undermine claims of widespread corruption linked to politicians.

Overall, the evidence suggests that the political dimension of the OPEKEPE affair is weaker than initially presented, with limited financial impact and no clear criminal liability for the examined MPs.