The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has launched an investigation into how the European People’s Party (EPP) handled its dealings with two advisers connected to Greece’s governing party, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The probe follows a report from the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), which referred the case to the European prosecutor. The source told Follow the Money and Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung that the anti-corruption unit of the Belgian police is conducting the investigation. The European Parliament also cited an ongoing investigation when it refused to release documents about the case to Follow the Money (FTM).
The inquiry puts fresh scrutiny on the EU’s largest political party and its leader, Manfred Weber, a German member of the European Parliament who was in charge when the consultants were hired.
An EPP spokesperson said the party had not been formally notified of the investigation. The spokesperson added that the EPP fully respects the independence of the authorities involved and is committed to complete transparency and cooperation if asked.
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Large payments, questioned output
In April, Follow the Money reported that two one-person consulting firms received large sums from the center-right party shortly after Weber became its president and Thanasis Bakolas became its secretary general in May 2022.
Bakolas, who had worked for Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for two decades, joined the EPP at Weber’s recommendation. Soon after taking the job, he signed contracts with the two advisers, who collected about €570,000 between July 2022 and January 2023. Two people familiar with the matter said payments likely continued until March 2023, which would bring the total to roughly €780,000.
The money went to Campaign Lab, a Belgian company owned by Gerasimos “Jerry” Zagoritis, 38, and HD Heavyweight, a Cyprus-based firm owned by Eric Thanopoulos Parks, 50. Both men have strong ties to Mitsotakis’ New Democracy party. Zagoritis spent nearly six years in Brussels working for two of the party’s EU lawmakers, while Parks served for years as a communications adviser to New Democracy and Mitsotakis.
Five former EPP employees told FTM that the consultants’ pay appeared out of proportion to the work they produced. They said this kind of work is typically done by advisers earning no more than €60,000 over six months. Zagoritis and Parks rejected that view.
In early 2023, the European Parliament declined to cover the full consultancy fees. It paid about €115,000, leaving the EPP to cover the remainder. The two consultants later returned roughly half of that remaining amount to the party. Zagoritis called it a “commercial gesture,” while Parks described it as a gesture of goodwill.
Bakolas remained secretary general until April 2025, when he was not nominated for another term, reportedly following a disagreement with Weber on an unrelated matter.
Unanswered questions
The Parliament’s intervention left several questions open. Were the contracts awarded through favoritism? Was all the money meant for Zagoritis and Parks, or are there signs that third parties received payments? And did the European Parliament report possible illicit financial flows to the proper authorities?
Using EU freedom-of-information rules, Follow the Money asked the Parliament for the EPP’s contracts with the advisers, the related tender documents and the institution’s communications about the case. On September 4, the Parliament refused, saying that releasing the tender and contracts would harm the consultants’ commercial interests. Regarding its communications with other authorities, it pointed to an ongoing investigation and said documents should not be disclosed when there is a concrete risk of undermining such an inquiry.
An EPPO spokesperson declined to comment, saying the office did not want to jeopardize the ongoing proceedings and would share information proactively when it is able to. Belgian police and OLAF also declined to comment on cases they may or may not be handling.
Zagoritis said no investigating authority had ever contacted him about this or any other matter. Parks and Bakolas did not respond to requests for comment. Bakolas previously told FTM that every financial decision made during his tenure, including the consultancy contracts, had been audited by the European Parliament and found to be legal and proper.
Bakolas, the EPP and the consultants all pointed to the multiple internal and external audits of the party’s accounts. An EPP spokesperson had previously said the advisers were hired as part of a restructuring effort to improve digital communications and strengthen relationships with national member parties.
Weber under scrutiny
The EPP has repeatedly faced allegations of misusing public funds under Weber’s leadership. A separate EPPO investigation into the financing of Weber’s European Parliament election campaign was closed last year, with the office saying at the time that there were no reasonable grounds to believe a crime had been committed.
The current case raises questions about Weber’s role as party president. Former insiders said that despite his considerable salary, he was rarely seen at the party’s headquarters. As secretary general, Bakolas oversaw the party’s daily operations.
François-Xavier Bellamy, an EU lawmaker elected as EPP treasurer in 2024, told Follow the Money that the party has since reformed its procedures to address any potential weaknesses.
Source: Follow the Money