Keynote speech of the European Chief Prosecutor, Laura Kövesi, at the Policy Forum "Anti-corruption, Democratic Resilience and Economic Security" in Sofia, Bulgaria - 9 November 2023

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Brussels (Belgium) filed two separate indictments at the Court of Antwerp yesterday, for the evasion of customs duties on the importation of electric bicycles (e-bikes) from China.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has initiated an investigation against 29 Croatian citizens, detained today at the EPPO’s request, and one company, for suspected subsidy and procurement fraud at the Faculty of Geodesy of the University of Zagreb (Croatia).

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Milan (Italy), two people have been arrested by the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) in an investigation into a large VAT fraud scheme, with estimated damage of approximately €50 million.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Riga (Latvia), in cooperation with Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), carried out searches and detained three people today, in a probe into possible fraud involving state officials from the Municipality of Valka.

On 31 October 2023, the Court of First Instance of Athens (Greece) delivered its verdict in a subsidy fraud case involving livestock, investigated and prosecuted by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

A police officer posted at a refugee centre was convicted of forgery last week, in the first verdict in Greek courts of a case investigated and prosecuted by the European Public Prosecutor Office’s (EPPO) in Athens (Greece).

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo (Italy) has been conducting an investigation into organised criminal association, corruption and fraud involving agricultural funds in Sicily, which has now led to an indictment of 56 individuals and two companies.

Last week (26 October), the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Prague (Czechia), in cooperation with the Czech Police’s National Organized Crime Agency, brought charges against seven individuals and three companies for evading taxes and for participating in an organised crime group. This followed an action day, on which several searches and seizures were carried out, and three of the individuals were arrested.

In a joint effort with the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) in Orbetello (Italy), the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bologna has uncovered evidence of a deceptive scheme carried out by an agri-businessman to illicitly secure approximately €230 000 in EU funds.