(Luxembourg, 6 September 2023) – This week, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bucharest referred a criminal case to the Bucharest Tribunal, where a former president of Dinamo București football club was indicted for fraud. This follows house searches in Romania and France in May this year, in an investigation into a €30 million fraud involving EU and national funds.
It is alleged that the defendant, who is currently in pre-trial detention, issued 18 false letters of guarantee to awardees of projects financed by EU and national funds, which claimed to insure the projects against potential damage. He is believed to have carried out this activity in the name of a company registered in Spain under his control, using false and inaccurate documents.
According to the evidence collected during the searches, between May 2020 and March 2022, the defendant managed to submit, through various intermediaries and representatives of six commercial companies, inaccurate and false documents to the contracting authorities within the framework of projects primarily financed by EU funds.
It is understood that the use of these documents resulted in the unjustified gain of approximately €13 million – €11 million of which was from the EU’s European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
You can find more information about the case in our press release from 16 May 2023 here.
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.