(Luxembourg, 8 October 2024) - At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Ostrava (Czechia), the Czech Police’s National Centre Against Organised Crime (Národní centrála proti organizovanému zločinu – NCOZ) arrested eight persons and carried out fourteen searches yesterday in the Moravian-Silesian region. This action is part of an investigation into procurement fraud, bribery, and subsidy fraud.
It is alleged that procurement fraud was committed in small-scale tenders organised by two public entities in the Moravian-Silesian Region in 2020: the Road Administration of the Moravian-Silesian Region and the Moravian Energy Center. The tenders, partly financed by EU funds, destined for road cleaning and marketing services and it is believed that the tendering procedure was manipulated to favour pre-selected bidders, who paid bribes to secure the contracts.
Five individuals and one legal entity were charged with procurement fraud in connection with these tenders. Additionally, two individuals and one legal entity are facing bribery charges. The former deputy governor of the Moravian-Silesian Region was charged with accepting a bribe and abuse of power by a public official.
If convicted, the penalties for those charged range from up to eight years in prison for four individuals, while one individual faces a possible sentence of up to ten years.
All persons involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Czech courts of law.
The EPPO is an 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.