Trial of MP Katerina Papakosta postponed in OPEKEPE subsidies case

The trial of New Democracy MP Katerina Papakosta, originally scheduled for October 2, 2026, at the One-Member Court of Appeal in Athens, has been postponed until November 20, 2026. The adjournment was requested by the defense team due to scheduling conflicts. This case is the first of four separate proceedings initiated by the European Public Prosecutor's Office against sitting MPs from the ruling party following the lifting of their parliamentary immunity.

Katerina Papakosta faces charges of instigating computer fraud, instigating false certification, and instigating breach of trust related to 2021 OPEKEPE agricultural subsidy irregularities involving a producer in her Trikala constituency. Co-defendants in this trial include former OPEKEPE president Dimitris Melas, an agency veterinarian, and a parliamentary associate of the MP. These proceedings stem from investigations into the illegal management of European funds.

Additional cases involving MPs Kostas Skrekas, Christos Boukoros, and Maximos Senetakis remain pending. The court will continue to examine these separate indictments as part of the broader legal scrutiny into the distribution of 2021 European agricultural subsidies.