Romania: EPPO charges four individuals and one company for misuse of funds

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Timi?oara and Bucharest (Romania) has accused four individuals and one company of subsidy fraud, involving a project funded by the Regional Operational Programme 2014–2020, with over €2.8 million of non-reimbursable funding from the EU and national sources, https://www.eppo.europa.eu/ informs.

As reported in March 2024, the administrator of the beneficiary company is accused of falsifying statements to claim the completion of works that were not fully executed. It is alleged that tax invoices, work reports, and quotations were submitted to the EU funds management body, misleadingly indicating that the works were completed. Additionally, the suspects are accused of using forged documents to prove that the equipment to carry out the works was delivered before the project deadline.

During searches conducted in March and this week, authorities seized houses, land, and cash worth €1 million from the suspects in an effort to recover defrauded EU and national funds. Thanks to a swift investigation, over €1.8 million in non-reimbursable funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and national funds was never disbursed.

If found guilty, the suspects face between three to ten years of imprisonment.

All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Romanian courts of law.

The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It?is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.

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