News

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Vilnius is leading the pre-trial investigation related to the lack of transparency of an EU-funded public procurement project worth €1.7 million. The Special Investigation Service (Specialiųjų tyrimų tarnyba –STT) is carrying out the investigation, and a notification of suspicion to the Mayor of Šiauliai City Municipality was served today.

Since July 2021, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has been running a preliminary investigation into a case of misappropriation of public funds, including aiding and concealment. These acts are thought to have been committed in 2018 and 2019, and relate to the suspected fictitious employment of a European Parliamentary Assistant.

Today, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies of 14 EU Member States, carried out simultaneous investigative measures, including more than 200 searches, in relation to a complex VAT fraud scheme based on the sale of popular electronic goods.

On 24 November, following a request by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) executed a judicial seizure decree to freeze the bank accounts of an Italian company suspected of fraud involving EU and regional funds of over €70 000.

In an investigation into tax evasion on imported fuels, led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Palermo, the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) executed a seizure decree on Thursday of assets worth more than €24 million against eight companies, two individual entrepreneurs and 13 suspects.

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.