Croatian version below
(Luxembourg, 22 January 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Zagreb (Croatia) has opened an investigation against five individuals and three legal entities for suspected subsidy fraud and document forgery in connection with two projects financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF).
The five suspects were arrested yesterday at the EPPO’s request, following investigative actions carried out by the Dubrovačko-neretvanska Police Department.
According to the investigation, between 2019 and 2024, the founder and actual manager of a company agreed with a member of the management board of another company to submit an application for the project "Adaptation and commercialisation of the city management application My Dubrovnik", as part of a call of the Ministry of the Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, co-financed with a share of 85% from the ERDF.
In the submitted application, contrary to the terms of the call, they are believed to have provided false facts to the Croatian Agency for Small Business, Innovation and Investments (HAMAG-BICRO), which had a direct impact on the positive assessment of the project. Allegedly, they falsely stated that the city management application was developed and tested, and that one of the companies had provided a project team with appropriate experience in project implementation. In addition, it is believed that they attached four forged letters of intent to the application.
The evidence revealed that by doing so, they falsely showed that they met the technical eligibility requirements of the call. As a consequence, the suspected company was awarded €185 543.73 in grants, which accounted for 85% of the project costs, while the beneficiary had to provide the remaining 15%.
When it comes to the project financed by the ESF, there is a reasonable suspicion that the suspected association, represented by the first suspect, was unlawfully awarded grants in the total amount of €132 298.09 from the ESF in a share of 85% and from the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia in a share of 15%, of which, after administrative financial correction, a total of €108 647.52 was paid. The grants were for the implementation of the "Liquid Democracy" project, including the employment of full-time project staff.
According to the evidence, the suspected association did not meet the conditions for the allocation of funds, and therefore the first suspect, in order to create the appearance of meeting the required conditions, with the help of three other suspects, unfoundedly presented the fulfilment of the eligibility conditions.
In total, the described alleged crimes caused damage to the financial interests of the EU and the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia in the total amount of € 294 191,25.
All persons involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty before the competent Croatian courts.
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.
Hrvatska: Petero uhićenih zbog sumnje na na subvencijske prijevare i krivotvorenje isprava
(Luksemburg, 22. siječnja 2026.) – Ured europskog javnog tužitelja (EPPO) u Zagrebu (Hrvatska) donio je rješenje o provođenju istrage protiv pet fizičkih i tri pravne osobe zbog sumnje na počinjenje subvencijskih prijevara i krivotvorenje isprava u svezi dva projekta financirana iz Europskog fonda za regionalni razvoj (ERDF i Europskog socijalnog fonda (ESF).
Postoji osnovana sumnja da je, u vremenu od 2019. do 2024. godine, osnivačica i stvarna voditeljica poslovanja jedne tvrtke dogovorila s članom Uprave druge tvrtke podnošenje prijave za projekt „Prilagodba i komercijalizacija inovativne upravljačke simulacije My Dubrovnik“, u sklopu poziva Ministarstva gospodarstva, poduzetništva i obrta, sufinanciranog s udjelom od 85% iz ERDF-a.
U podnesenoj prijavi, suprotno uvjetima poziva, Hrvatskoj agenciji za malo gospodarstvo, inovacije i investicije (HAMAG-BICRO) naveli su neistinite činjenice, što je izravno utjecalo na pozitivnu ocjenu projekta. Tako postoji sumja da su lažno naveli da je upravljačka simulacija My Dubrovnik razvijena i testirana te da je jedna od tvrtki osigurala projektni tim s odgovarajućim iskustvom u provedbi projekta. Osim toga, postoji sumnja da su uz prijavu priložili četiri krivotvorena pisma namjere.
Na opisani su način lažno prikazali da ispunjavaju tehničke uvjete prihvatljivosti poziva, slijedom čega je osumnjičenoj tvrtki dodijeljeno je 185.543,73 eura bespovratnih sredstava, što je činilo 85% troškova projekta, dok je korisnik morao osigurati preostalih 15%.
Vezano uz drugi projekt, financiran iz ESF-a, postoji osnovana sumnja da je osumnjičenoj udruzi, koju zastupa prvoosumnjičenica, nezakonito dodijeljeno bespovratno financiranje u ukupnom iznosu od 132.298,09 eura iz ESF-a u udjelu od 85% i iz Državnog proračuna Republike Hrvatske u udjelu od 15%, od čega je, nakon administrativne financijske korekcije, isplaćeno ukupno 108.647,52 eura. Bespovratna sredstva bila su namijenjena provedbi projekta „Liquid Democracy“, namjenjena za zapošljavanje projektnog osoblja u punom radnom vremenu.
Postoji osnovana sumnja da osumnjičena udruga nije ispunjavala uvjete za dodjelu sredstava, te je stoga prvoosumnjičenica, kako bi stvorila privid ispunjavanja potrebnih uvjeta, uz pomoć još trojice osumnjičenika, neutemeljeno prikazala ispunjavanje uvjeta prihvatljivosti.
Počinjenjem predmetnih kaznenih djela prouzročena je šteta financijskim interesima EU i Državnom proračunu Republike Hrvatske u ukupnom iznosu od 294.191,25 eura.
Sve uključene osobe smatraju se nevinima dok se njihova krivnja ne dokaže pred nadležnim hrvatskim sudovima.
EPPO je neovisni ured javnog tužiteljstva Europske unije. Odgovoran je za istragu, kazneni progon i donošenje presuda protiv financijskih interesa EU-a.