The European Public Prosecutor's Office, led by Laura Kövesi, has uncovered a fraud of 100 million euros with EU funds in Romania, reports Digi24. It has indicted three people and transferred the criminal case to a court in Bucharest, a press release from the investigating body states, BTA reported.
These are members of a criminal group that operated in Romania between 2019 and 2024. It participated in tenders organized by the Romanian authorities through three Italian consortiums. Two of the consortia had previously been banned by the Italian authorities from receiving public funds, in accordance with the Italian Anti-Mafia Code.
To prove their financial capacity and experience in such projects, the defendants provided false documents, including statements certifying that the Italian companies had an average annual turnover of over 50 million euros. In reality, according to the investigation, the turnover was 30 times lower. They also presented contracts for the execution of construction works in Iraq, which, based on the evidence, did not correspond to the truth.
Based on the principle of loyal cooperation, the European Public Prosecutor's Office has warned the Romanian Ministry of Investment and European Projects about shortcomings in the management of EU funds, highlighting a high risk of fraud and recommending strengthening verification procedures, the information released also shows.