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New files from an investigation by European prosecutors into a major farm subsidy scandal were forwarded to Parliament Tuesday, with the question of stripping two sitting lawmakers with the governing New Democracy party of their immunity from prosecution.<\/p>\n
The probe focuses on alleged payments to cronies, sometimes based on fraudulent claims, by the now-defunct OPEKEPE state agency that disbursed European Union farm subsidies. The scandal has shaken Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis\u2019 government, forcing the resignations of Cabinet members and damaging ND\u2019s poll standing.<\/p>\n
Opposition parties are calling for the government\u2019s resignation.<\/p>\n
A parliamentary ethics committee will decide whether to lift the automatic parliamentary immunity of Haralambos Athanassiou and Tassos Hadzivassiliou. It is expected to convene on April 20, after the Easter holidays.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Athanassiou is himself a member of the ethics committee and has therefore been replaced there by fellow ND lawmaker Ioanna Lytrivi.<\/p>\n
The final decision on the immunity of the two ND deputies \u2013 who face potential charges of allegedly instigating breach of duty by OPEKEPE officials \u2013 will be taken in a subsequent vote by Parliament\u2019s plenary session.<\/p>\n
Earlier Tuesday, the ethics committee unanimously recommended lifting the immunity of another 11 sitting ND lawmakers named by the European Public Prosecutors\u2019 Office in an earlier investigation into the scandal.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 11 are Katerina Papakosta, Kostas A. Karamanlis, Ioannis Kefalogiannis, Notis Mitarakis, Konstantinos Tsiaras, Konstantinos Skrekas, Dimitrios Vartzopoulos, Maximos Senetakis, Vasileios Vasiliadis, Christos Boukoros and Theofilos Leontaridis.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n