(Luxembourg, 20 October 2025) – Today, at the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Sofia (Bulgaria), searches were carried out in the Plovdiv Municipality and at a company, suspected of public procurement fraud related to the improvement of urban green and public space in the city of Plovdiv.
The investigation, carried out with the support of the General Directorate of the National Police (Главна дирекция "Национална полиция”), started after suspicions of fraud and abuse of power linked to a public procurement project of €1 532 173 (BGN 2 996 670), co-financed at 59% by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), for improving the quality of urban green areas and open public spaces in Plovdiv.
According to the investigation, the manager and legal representative of the contracting company are suspected of having submitted falsified documentation reflecting inflated quantities and prices. The case further involves allegations of abuse of power in 2022-2023 by former public officials of the municipality of Plovdiv.
The searches and document seizures of today were aimed at gathering evidence in this ongoing investigation.
All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Bulgarian courts of law.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.