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(Luxembourg, 28 November 2024) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) is carrying out 31 searches today in several locations, in an investigation into possible fraud involving works in Zalău city’s ring road, financed with €37 million in EU funds.
The searches are being conducted in Bucharest, Cluj county, Sălaj county and Timișoara county, at the homes and headquarters of companies under investigation, including at the National Highways and National Roads Company (Compania Națională de Autostrăzi și Drumuri Naționale SA – CNAIR), responsible for administering the network of highways, express roads and roads of national interest in Romania.
At issue is a project to design and execute a ring road in Zalău, financed by the European Regional Development and Cohesion Fund, to the amount of €37 million. The beneficiary of the funds is CNAIR. The contract to execute the works was attributed to the Romanian branch of a Chinese company, which hired several subcontractors.
There are suspicions that the subcontractors colluded with the contractor in order to present false documents certifying that the works had been successfully completed. According to the investigation, the works did not respect the quality requirements. There are also suspicions that representatives of the beneficiary (CNAIR) did not carry out adequate checks.
The investigation and searches counted on the support of the EPPO Support Structure in Romania – Cluj-Napoca EPPO Office (Structura de sprijin a procurorilor europeni delegați în România – Biroul Teritorial Cluj-Napoca); the Anticorruption Directorate from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Directia Generala Anticoruptie - DGA); and the Directorate for Fighting Organised Crime (Directia de Combatere a Criminalitatii Organizate - DCCO).
The investigation is ongoing, in order to ascertain the extent of the suspected criminal activities and the overall financial damage caused to the EU budget.
All persons involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Romanian 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.