Three Latvian citizens have been convicted before Riga’s Vidzeme District Court for fraud committed in a procurement process for the construction of two high tunnel greenhouses, subsidised by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). It is the first conviction in Latvia since the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) started its operations.

Last week, an investigation of the Vilnius office of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) led to arrests of 15 suspects and more than 50 searches in Lithuania, carried out by the Special Investigation Service STT (Specialiųjų tyrimų tarnyba). The suspects were allegedly involved in an illicit enrichment worth at least €250 000 and linked to a public procurement procedure funded by the European Union (EU).

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Lithuania is leading a pre-trial investigation into the possible lack of transparency in an EU-funded public procurement for street lighting in the municipality of Šiauliai. The investigation is carried out by the Special Investigation Service (STT).