News

In an investigation led by the European Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) into VAT fraud in luxury cars sales, the Valencia Criminal Police Unit of the Guardia Civil carried out eight searches on Tuesday in Valencia, during which 14 vehicles were seized, including a Rolls Royce, some Mercedes and Audis.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) conducted several searches in the Netherlands today, in an ongoing investigation into a suspected criminal organisation that sells perfumes and electronics online, with the intention of not paying VAT on these sales.

Today, the European Chief Prosecutor addressed a letter to the European Commission in line with Recital 16 of Regulation (EU) 2020/2092 of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union Budget pointing at Ireland’s refusal to cooperate with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi held a working meeting today in Luxembourg with Acting Prosecutor General of the Republic of Moldova, Ion Munteanu, and Chief Anticorruption Prosecutor of Moldova, Veronica Dragalin.

The Financial Administration Criminal Office (Kriminálny úrad finančnej správy) in Slovakia has carried out searches and seized electronic devices and accounting documents in an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) into the non-payment of customs taxes on imported goods.

In an investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) executed a seizure decree issued by a judge to freeze the bank accounts of an Italian company under investigation for aggravated fraud involving EU funds of up to €230 000.

Today, the Country Court in Zagreb issued two convictions, by which two accused persons have been found guilty of unlawful favouritism and aiding the attempted abuse of function and authority. In this investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Zagreb, in total 10 Croatian citizens were indicted, out of which five have been convicted so far.

The EPPO has first reported about this investigation of passive and active corruption in May this year and later on in September when the first suspects were convicted.

The European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi today spoke at the Bundestag, the German federal parliament. Laura Kövesi addressed the Legal Affairs Committee.

(Full speech)

A meeting between the European Chief Prosecutor, Laura Kövesi, and the State Attorney General of the Republic of Croatia, Zlata Hrvoj-Šipek, was held yesterday, 3 November 2022, at the State Attorney's Office of the Republic of Croatia (DORH) as part of the visit of the European Chief Prosecutor to the Republic of Croatia and Croatian state authorities. After having taken stock of the excellent cooperation so far, both parties discussed ways to further develop EPPO’s potential with regard to the protection of the financial interests of the European Union in Croatia.