An Operational Partnership Conference of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) took place on 22 and 23 April. Prosecutors and financial investigators from the EPPO and investigators, forensic experts and analysts from OLAF gathered in Brussels to discuss their respective experiences and possible improvements almost three years after the start of EPPO operations.

Last week, one individual and two companies were found guilty of evading customs duties on the importation of electric bicycles (e-bikes) from China, following a case investigated and prosecuted by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Brussels (Belgium).

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Cluj-Napoca and (Romania) is carrying out searches today in several locations, including public institutions, in the county of Botoșani, in an investigation into a €160 000 fraud involving EU funds intended to boost the employability of young people.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Iași (Romania) conducted eight searches today in the Galați county, in an investigation into a €1.7 million fraud involving projects for irrigation systems, funded by the EU.

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Rome (Italy), the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) of Bari is carrying out searches today, in an investigation into an €8.8 million fraud in the training sector. 

Given the extraordinary public interest in its investigation code-named 'Resilient Crime', the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) wishes to clarify some technical elements that have been subject to misinterpretation. 

This week (9 April), the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Paris (France) carried out searches and arrested four suspects in western France, in a probe into an alleged VAT fraud of around €60 million. More than €12.5 million were seized in assets, bank accounts and financial instruments in France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, alongside documents, data and media storage devices.

This week, an entrepreneur was fined by the Sofia District Court (Bulgaria) for attempted subsidy fraud and forgery of documents involving a car repair shop, following an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). 

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo (Italy), a freezing order of €226 000 was executed today against three farmers suspected of misappropriation of EU agricultural funds and forgery of documents.

In an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bologna (Italy), the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) of Bologna and Prato have executed a freezing order of €7.3 million on the bank accounts of a freight forwarding company suspected of VAT fraud relating to the illegal importation of fabric from China.