Allegations that European funds paid to Greece to help cope with the 2015-2016 migration crisis are under investigation. Greece’s Supreme Court on October 8 ordered an inquiry.
Prosecutors will investigate allegations of government mismanagement – and possibly embezzlement – of the money.
As reported by the Agence France-Presse (AFP), Andreas Iliopoulos, the head of refugee intake operations, was among the sources of the allegations, and he referred to “illegal” transactions in an interview late last week with the daily Fileleftheros.
His boss, Migration Minister Dimitris Vitsas, rejected the charges and called for his resignation.
Vitsas told the media that Greece had received €570m in emergency aid, of which 68% went to aid groups and international organisations such as the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
The rest of the funds went to the Greek government, in particular the defence ministry which at the time was responsible for setting up around 40 migrants’ camps, reported AFP.
