Today, the former Croatian Minister for Regional Development and EU Funds (MRRFEU) was convicted by the County Court of Zagreb (Croatia) and sentenced to seven months of imprisonment for abuse of office and authority.

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Rome (Italy), two suspects were arrested yesterday and freezing orders of up to €5 million were carried out, in an investigation involving multiple Italian companies suspected of fraudulent use of EU and national funds destined to finance small and medium companies (SMEs). 

Yesterday, the Regional Court in Prague (Czechia) convicted three individuals and three companies of a €5.5 million subsidy fraud involving nanobot research, as well as money laundering, following an investigation and indictment by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Prague.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Berlin (Germany) arrested two additional suspects and seized assets worth €11 million yesterday in an investigation into a criminal organisation suspected of defrauding €66 million in unpaid VAT and of evading over €137 million in excise duties.

Ten searches were conducted yesterday and four individuals were detained in a criminal investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Lithuania, and carried out by the Financial Crime Investigation Service (Finansinių nusikaltimų tyrimo tarnyba – FNTT), into an alleged €136 000 fraud involving EU rural development funds.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Vilnius (Lithuania) has filed an indictment with the Vilnius District Court against a Lithuanian citizen and an NGO, for subsidy fraud in connection with an EU-funded project aimed at providing mobile car repair and maintenance services in rural areas.

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Lisbon (Portugal), searches were carried out this week in Cabo Verde, related to potential money laundering of fraud’s proceeds in connection to ‘Investigation Ambrosia’. 

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Madrid (Spain) seized bank accounts in the Dominican Republic and Peru, and obtained information from Uruguay, in connection with an investigation into a €25 million VAT fraud involving the trade of IT equipment, orchestrated by a criminal organisation whose outreach extends to Latin America. 

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Venice (Italy), the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) of Treviso carried out searches and seized assets worth up to €486 000, in connection with an investigation into suspected subsidy fraud, embezzlement of public funds, and money laundering.

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo (Italy), the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) of Palermo carried out extensive searches this week (22 July), uncovering one of the largest illegal cigarette production facilities in Europe.