(Luxembourg, 9 April 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bucharest (Romania) carried out searches on Wednesday in an investigation into possible fraud involving two projects for the manufacture of lithium-ion battery units and prefabricated metal modular structures, amounting to approximately €10 million each, co-funded by the EU.
A total of 14 house and company searches were carried out in Romania and Bulgaria to gather evidence. Investigative measures were also carried out in Austria and the United Kingdom (UK). Seven suspects will be brought to the EPPO’s office in Bucharest to be informed of their status as suspects.
According to the investigation, the beneficiaries of the projects submitted false or inaccurate documents to the managing authority in Romania between 2020 and 2024, namely false offers for the projects’ budget, as well as inaccurate documents to prove their own financial contribution and financial capacity. It is understood that the same funds were repeatedly used for both projects to create the appearance of financial solidity, and were transferred to the beneficiaries’ accounts only for the period necessary to generate supporting bank statements – thereby illegally securing funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), of which they have already received €7.5 million.
It is further alleged that one of the projects was unlawfully implemented with the assistance of a public official, who certified false information in the on-site visit reports. These reports, which formed the basis for the subsequent extension of the financing contract and the project implementation period, falsely indicated that the equipment required by the supply contract had arrived in the country, even though the main supplier had not actually purchased any equipment.
The beneficiaries are also suspected of having subsequently established fraudulent domestic and international financial circuits to divert the funds for their own benefit.
The facts under investigation could constitute offences of fraud, forgery and money laundering.
The EPPO counted on the EPPO Support Structure in Romania, the Romanian Operations Directorate (Poliția Română – Directia de Operatiuni Speciale), the Romanian Police – Criminal Investigations Directorate, Economic Crime Investigation Service Prahova and Bucharest (I.P.J. Prahova, D.G.P.M.B. – Serviciul de Investigare a Criminalitatii Economice), Criminal Investigations Service Bistrita-Nasaud (IPJ Bistrita Nasaud – Serviciul de Investigatii Criminale), the Special Intervention Brigade of the Romanian Gendarmerie (Brigada Speciala de Interventie a Jandarmeriei Romane), Fight Against Fraud Department (DLAF); as well as the National Investigative Service in Bulgaria (Национална следствена служба) and the Bulgarian General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (ГДБОП).
All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in 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.