The first of four trials involving New Democracy MPs in the OPEKEPE case did not open today. Following requests from defense lawyers, the Single-Member Court of Appeal set a new date for November 20, 2026. In the dock are the MP for Trikala, former OPEKEPE President Dimitris Melas, and two others.
Iro Sivvopoulou | 02.10.2026 Politics
The trial of Trikala MP Katerina Papakosta, which had been scheduled for today, Friday, October 2, at the Single-Member Court of Appeal, was ultimately postponed to November 20, 2026. The continuance was granted following requests submitted by defense lawyers, due to a conflict concerning their presence in another trial. According to reports, only former OPEKEPE President Dimitris Melas appeared in court.
The case concerns the year 2021 and relates to subsidies allegedly received from the Organization by a specific livestock farmer-producer from the defendant’s constituency, through inaccurate declarations. According to the indictment filed by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the four New Democracy MPs and their associates allegedly pressured OPEKEPE leadership to prioritize payments to specific producers. As part of the preliminary investigation, telephone conversations that form part of the case file were evaluated.
Papakosta faces charges of moral complicity in breach of trust, moral complicity in the illegal management of European funds, moral complicity in false certification, and attempted computer fraud. Her co-defendants face charges, as the case may be, of breach of trust and fraud as principal perpetrators. All defendants face misdemeanor-level offenses.
The trial reaches the courtroom following the criminal prosecution filed last July by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which formed separate case files for her and for Kostas Skrekas, Christos Boukouras, and Maximos Senetakis, after their parliamentary immunity was lifted by Parliament. The MP has declared herself innocent from the outset.
The trials of the remaining three MPs remain as scheduled: Christos Boukouras on October 27, Maximos Senetakis on October 30, and Kostas Skrekas on November 12. This is the first time that sitting MPs of the governing party are appearing in the dock for cases involving European funds.
