ATHENS, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has accepted the resignations of five senior officials, including Migration and Asylum Minister Makis Voridis, amid a growing corruption scandal involving European Union (EU) agricultural funds, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Friday.

The other officials stepping down are Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Chatzivasileiou, Deputy Rural Development and Food Minister Dionysis Stamenitis, Deputy Digital Governance Minister Christos Boukoros, and Secretary General of Rural Development and Food Giorgos Stratakos. All have been implicated in an ongoing judicial investigation into the mismanagement of EU agricultural subsidies distributed through OPEKEPE, Greece's payment authority for Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funds.

According to a case file submitted by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) to Greek judicial authorities, the officials were allegedly involved in authorizing payments to farmers who did not meet eligibility requirements between 2019 and 2021, based on falsified documents.

All five had previously held senior posts in the Rural Development and Food Ministry during the period under investigation.

In his resignation letter, Voridis denied any wrongdoing, but said he could not remain in office while under judicial scrutiny. He said that he intends to focus on defending himself against the allegations, as pressure mounts from opposition parties calling for a full parliamentary inquiry.

In response to media reports of widespread fraud, the government had already shut down OPEKEPE weeks ago.

Replacements for the outgoing officials are expected to be announced in the coming days. Enditem