Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accepted the resignation of Migration and Asylum Minister Makis Voridis after his name appeared in the farm subsidies scandal case file forwarded to Parliament last week by the European Prosecutor.
Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Chatzivasileiou, Deputy Rural Development and Food Minister Dionysis Stamenitis and Deputy Digital Governance Minister Christos Boukoros have also resigned as their names are included in the same case file as well as Giorgos Stratakos, Secretary General of Rural Development and Food.
The replacements for the aforementioned officials will be announced in the coming days.
In his letter, Voridis insists on his innocence, saying that after reviewing the case file in Parliament, there is no indication he has committed any offense.
However, following PASOK’s proposal to establish a preliminary investigative committee to probe potential offenses on his part, he can no longer remain a minister.
“In order to give my full attention to what’s most important to me, to defend my innocence before Parliament, as well as protect my honor and reputation, I hereby submit my resignation from the position of Minister of Migration and Asylum and kindly request that you accept it,” the letter forwarded to the prime minister concluded.
Last week, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) reported that it had presented evidence to the Greek Parliament regarding the alleged involvement of two former agriculture ministers in the misappropriation of European Union funds through Greek Payment Authority of Common Agricultural Policy Aid Schemes (OPEKEPE).
