site.btaEuropean Public Prosecutor’s Office Conducts Searches, Seizures in Bulgaria within Agricultural Subsidy Fraud Investigation

In an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Sofia, the Bulgarian General Directorate of the National Police carried out several searches and seizures this week, the EPPO said in a press release Friday. The investigation is into suspected subsidy fraud involving EU agricultural funds. 

The investigation concerns the suspected submission of false or misleading information in applications for financial support under various EU schemes intended for farmers between 2023 and 2025, the EPPO said. According to the evidence, a beneficiary company is believed to have submitted untrue data to the Municipal Office for agriculture in Burgas (on the Black Sea), with the alleged involvement of high-ranking public officials responsible for certifying information in the management systems of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The searches were carried out at the premises of the District Agriculture Office, the business office of the beneficiary company, and the residence of a high-ranking public official. Documents, digital data and mobile phones were seized.  The suspected activities are believed to have enabled the unlawful obtainment of EU agricultural funds, causing financial losses to both the EU and the national budget. While the exact damage is still being assessed, preliminary indications suggest losses amounting to several hundred thousand euro annually, the EPPO said.

The investigation is also examining indications of an organized criminal group involving public officials and individuals connected to the beneficiary. All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Bulgarian courts of law, the EPPO recalls.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is the EU's independent public prosecution office responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the Union.