Three ministers to resign in subsidy scandal

TT

Published 12.28

           

          Farmers protest in front of the parliament in Athens on February 13. Suspected political fraud with              EU agricultural subsidies has caused other payments to be delayed. Photo: Petros Giannakouris/

          AP/ TT

Three ministers in Greece resign after revelations of fraud with European subsidy money.

The right-wing government's agriculture minister, civil defense minister and a deputy health minister are resigning, public service broadcaster ERT reports.

The EU's public prosecutor's office EPPO announced earlier this week that it is opening an investigation into 20 suspects in Greece's conservative New Democracy party.

They are suspected of being part of a scheme in which EU agricultural subsidies have been paid to unauthorized parties, in many cases to people who have nothing to do with agriculture. Large agricultural protests have been held in the country, partly because legitimate payments have been delayed.

In the government shake-up that takes place, former EU Commissioner Margaritis Schinas is appointed as the new Minister of Agriculture.