The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the European People’s Party over payments to two Greek-linked advisers, following a report by the EU’s anti-fraud office.
The probe centres on contracts awarded by the EPP in 2022 to Gerasimos Zagoritis and Eric Thanopoulos Parks, whose firms received over €570,000 in six months, with payments possibly reaching €780,000 by March 2023. Both advisers have ties to Greece’s ruling New Democracy party, and Zagoritis concurrently advised Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on a voluntary basis during the same period.
The European Parliament refused to reimburse the full amount, covering only around €115,000 and citing excessive fees, which prompted the EPP to pay the remainder itself. The two advisers later returned about half of the unreimbursed sum, describing it as a “commercial gesture” and a “gesture of goodwill.”
The investigation, led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and supported by Belgium’s anti-corruption police, follows a referral from OLAF, the EU’s anti-fraud office. Authorities are examining whether EU funds were misused, including the possibility that payments were diverted to finance Greece’s governing party.
Thanasis Bakolas, the EPP’s then-secretary-general and a long-time aide to Mitsotakis, signed the contracts shortly after Manfred Weber took over as party president in May 2022. Bakolas left his post in April 2025. The EPP stated it had not been formally notified of the investigation but pledged full cooperation if requested.
Five former EPP employees told investigators the advisers’ earnings appeared disproportionate to their work, with typical consultancy fees for such roles capped at €60,000 over six months. The advisers denied any impropriety, insisting the payments were for legitimate services.
