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(Luxembourg, 7 December 2023) – At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo (Italy), the Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate (Direzione Investigativa Antimafia) of Catania has seized the farmhouse of a suspect under investigation for agricultural funding fraud and ties to organised crime.
The suspect, who owns agricultural real estate in the province of Catania, has family ties to people convicted of mafia association. The investigation began after the Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate carried out checks on a list of companies that were not allowed to receive public funds.
According to the evidence, the suspect falsified statements and declared ownership and possession of land that she did not own, in the province of Enna, in order to illegally obtain €245 000 in agricultural funds from the European Union, between 2016 and 2021. Subsequent investigations have shown that the farmer obtained additional funding of over €400 000, in relation to land that she could not have legitimately had at her disposal.
The freezing order, issued by the judge for preliminary investigations in Enna, to the amount of €405 000, follows a previous seizure that was executed on 5 October 2023. In total, assets worth a combined value of €700 000 were seized.
All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Italian 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.