EPPO

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bologna (Italy), a freezing order was executed yesterday against technology companies suspected of aggravated fraud involving research projects, with an estimated damage of €730 000.

On the radar of the EPPO are technology companies that fraudulently obtained EU funds for scientific research and innovation projects, under the Horizon 2020 programme. 

The EPPO commenced its investigation following a report by the European Court of Auditors concerning one company and one project. The investigation was then broadened to another company and several additional projects funded under the same programme.

The suspects are a Tuscan couple, active in the technology sector in the province of Florence. Over the years, the couple’s companies have benefited from substantial EU contributions, aimed at scientific research and technological innovation in different fields. However, according to the evidence, the legal representatives of the companies under investigation falsified timesheets in order to obtain undue reimbursements for staff expenses.

The freezing order, issued at the request of the EPPO by the judge for preliminary investigations of the court of Florence, was executed by the EPPO Section of the Carabinieri of Bologna’s Investigative Department.

All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Italian 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.

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo (Italy), the Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate (Direzione Investigativa Antimafia) of Catania has seized the farmhouse of a suspect under investigation for agricultural funding fraud and ties to organised crime.

The suspect, who owns agricultural real estate in the province of Catania, has family ties to people convicted of mafia association. The investigation began after the Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate carried out checks on a list of companies that were not allowed to receive public funds.

According to the evidence, the suspect falsified statements and declared ownership and possession of land that she did not own, in the province of Enna, in order to illegally obtain €245 000 in agricultural funds from the European Union, between 2016 and 2021. Subsequent investigations have shown that the farmer obtained additional funding of over €400 000, in relation to land that she could not have legitimately had at her disposal.

The freezing order, issued by the judge for preliminary investigations in Enna, to the amount of €405 000, follows a previous seizure that was executed on 5 October 2023. In total, assets worth a combined value of €700 000 were seized.

All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Italian courts of law.

Following an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo and Rome (Italy), coercive measures were decreed today against three aquaculture producers, suspected of committing fraud involving EU maritime and fisheries funds, with an estimated damage of €4.5 million.

The suspects run a string of companies operating in the aquaculture industry, with headquarters in the province of Rome and offices in Petrosino, Rome, Guidonia and Piombino. The companies form a complete supply chain, from the breeding of fish to the production of sushi for supermarkets and restaurants, serving markets throughout Italy.

The companies under investigation obtained approximately €4.5 million, granted by the Regions of Sicily, Lazio and Tuscany, under the EU’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Operational Program 2014–2020, for projects relating to the construction and refurbishment of production sites.

However, the investigation uncovered a fraudulent mechanism, by which the construction and refurbishment works were assigned to a company that belonged to the same corporate structure as the companies benefitting from the funds. According to the evidence, this allowed for the costs of the project to be inflated and for the organisation to obtain illicit profits – which were then used for ends other than those established under the projects.

The facts under investigation could constitute criminal association for committing aggravated fraud to obtain public financing, money laundering and fraudulent transfer of funds.

At the request of the EPPO, the judge for preliminary investigations of Tivoli ordered the house arrest of one suspect, and the requirement to stay in the municipality of residence for two others. In addition, the judge ordered a seizure of €4.5 million against six companies operated by the suspects, which was executed today by the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) – Provincial Command of Trapani.

All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Italian courts of law.

At the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg, eight European Prosecutors gave the solemn undertaking to comply with the obligations arising from their duties. They were recently appointed to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) by the Council of the EU, and replace – for a non-renewable mandate of six years – the eight European Prosecutors who finished their three-year mandates at the end of July 2023.

The solemn undertaking was given by (in alphabetical order): Mr José António Lopes Ranito (Portugal), Mr Ignacio de Lucas (Spain), Ms Miranda De Meijer (Netherlands), Mr Gedgaudas Norkunas (Lithuania), Ms Anne Pantazi Lamprou (Cyprus), Mr Nikolaos Paschalis (Greece), Ms Ursula Schmudermayer (Austria) and Mr Andrea Venegoni (Italy).

In an address that followed the solemn undertaking, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi said: ‘Standing here today, we reaffirm the uniquely human ability to distinguish right from wrong and true from false. This oath is to act in the interest of the European Union as a whole, regardless of whether we are praised or criticised. It is to defend the independence of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. We are not representing national interests in an inter-governmental organisation. It is a fundamental principle of the rule of law: only an independent judiciary can enforce the law equally for everybody. We are here to make it a reality.’

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Palermo (Italy), coercive measures were decreed yesterday against seven suspects, in an investigation into agricultural funding fraud, with estimated damage of over €900 000.

According to the evidence, the suspects own agricultural companies affected by anti-mafia prohibitory measures issued by the prefecture of Syracuse. They are understood to have, since 2017, falsified statements and declared ownership and possession of land that they did not own, in order to illegally obtain €916 000 in agricultural funds from the European Union.

The coercive measures, ordered by the judge for preliminary investigations in Syracuse, were executed by the Anti-Mafia Investigation Directorate (Direzione Investigativa Antimafia) and the Carabinieri Agri-food Protection Department (Comando Carabinieri per la Tutela Agroalimentare) of Messina. The judge ordered mandatory presentation to the police for six suspects, and the requirement to stay in the municipality of residence for another.

Besides the seven individuals, 16 further suspects are being investigated for 13 counts of fraud and related crimes of money laundering and forgery. 

All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Italian courts of law.