Greek MP Demands Immunity Lift to Fight "Unfounded" Subsidy Probe Charges

Mr. Chatzivasileiou, a former deputy minister and current member of the ruling New Democracy party, said he is being investigated over a 2021 phone call regarding a request to transfer farming subsidy rights between spouses. 

He emphasized that the transfer was legally submitted but ultimately rejected by the Greek agricultural payment authority, OPEKEPE.

As the case file reaches the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Chatzivasileiou vehemently denied any connection between his actions and the broader financial fraud investigation currently being spearheaded by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office into illegal agricultural payouts. 

He noted the current file has resurfaced without any new evidence.

Last year, Mr. Chatzivasileiou resigned from his government post, citing political sensitivity, when the phone call first surfaced in preliminary case files. 

Reiterating his full confidence in the Greek justice system, he argued that voluntarily waiving his protective immunity is the fastest way to conclusively settle the matter and prove the communication carried no criminal significance.

“The file contains unfounded assumptions,” Mr. Chatzivasileiou stated, adding that he is being targeted for an offense that was never committed.