Latest news with #EPPO
Agriland
31-07-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Court in Spain Delivers Convictions for E3 8m Agricultural Subsidy Fraud
The Central Criminal Court of Spain has handed down three convictions for a €3.8 million subsidy fraud involving agricultural funds. A company and two of its legal representatives were convicted following a trial that came to court following an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Madrid. The Central Criminal Court of Spain sentenced two of the defendants to one year's imprisonment and a fine of €3 million. The court also fined the company €3 million and imposed a three-year ban on receiving public subsidies or public funds. According to the EPPO the company will have to reimburse €2 million in funds "illegitimately obtained, and the company directors were held to be joint and severally liable". The EPPO, which is the independent public prosecution office of the EU, has detailed that the company in question applied and obtained a subsidy from the Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund (SAGF) for the improvement of its facilities for the production of fruit and vegetables. "Following this, the defendants also requested a loan from the Catalan Institute of Finance and the Directorate General of Industry, in clear breach of the terms and conditions of the subsidy, which established that the funding could not be cumulated with other grants, " the EPPO stated. According to the public prosecution office the verdict, which was issued on June 30, 2025, "marks the first judicial decision delivered after a trial in a case investigated by the EPPO in Spain", following a series of prior convictions obtained through plea agreements, and is still subject to appeal. Meanwhile earlier this month the EPPO in Zagreb, Croatia, filed an indictment against two Croatian citizens on suspicion of fraud involving agricultural subsidies. An investigation showed that, between October 2021 and October 2022, one of the defendants - the manager of one company and owner and manager of another - together with the second defendant - the appointed commercial manager of the first company - fraudulently claimed non-refundable subsidies co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) to up to 85%. .
Euractiv
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
Belgium under growing scrutiny over stalled EU corruption probes
Frustration is mounting over Belgium's limited resources and judicial missteps in high-profile corruption cases with ties to MEPs and officials like Ursula von der Leyen, as EU institutions and law enforcement agencies urge the country to step up its efforts. Speaking in the Belgian parliament on Thursday, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin acknowledged the gravity of the situation, telling lawmakers that just 35 officers are assigned to Belgium's central office for combating organised economic and financial crime – with half their workload now driven by investigations led by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, or EPPO. The country's anti-corruption unit is only marginally better staffed, with only 64 investigators nationwide, he added. While Quintin insisted that 'the fight against corruption and fraud is an absolute priority,' EPPO chief Laura Kövesi delivered a far more urgent warning earlier this week. In an interview with De Standaard and Le Soir, she described Belgium as a critical node for organised financial crime, but its effort to tackle this was "a joke." 'This is no longer just a Belgian problem,' she said. 'Criminal groups use Belgium as a major platform for their operations. And as host to most EU institutions, Belgium carries a special responsibility.' EPPO is currently handling 79 investigations in the country, including probes on politically sensitive cases, such as von der Leyen's Pfizergate and alleged misuse of EU funds by key players in the European Parliament. Those under scrutiny include the chamber's most powerful group, the European People's Party, the defunct far-right group Identity and Democracy, and several individual MEPs. EXCLUSIVE: EU prosecutors open probe into far-right group linked to Le Pen Media reports allege €4.3 million in EU funds was misused by the far-right Identity and Democracy group from 2019-2024. The quality and discretion of Belgian investigations are also drawing sharp criticism. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola last month pledged to revise procedures with the Belgian police for lifting parliamentary immunity, following complaints that EU lawmakers' reputations are being tarnished by flimsy allegations made public before proper review. This criticism was echoed by MEPs this week as they debated whether to lift the immunities of their peers in a closed-door meeting of the Parliament's legal affairs committee. According to three people familiar with the discussions, both the conservative, socialist, and liberal groups urged the Belgian authorities to build up their cases and share more serious evidence before presenting it to their peers. All three EU groups have MEPs targeted by the so-called Huawei gate investigation. Belgium's chequered track record on high-profile cases only adds to the unease. The 2022 Qatargate scandal – alleging a cash-for-influence network tied to foreign powers like Morocco and Qatar – is lingering amid internal legal challenges that have delayed the investigation, which remains ongoing, with no potential outcome in sight. Behind the scenes, Belgian officials have long argued the country cannot shoulder the burden of transnational corruption investigations alone. Former Prime Minister Alexander De Croo supported expanding EPPO's authority in 2024, with backing from some EU countries. The idea is now getting traction at the Parliament, as key policy talks on the overhaul of the EU's anti-fraud architecture are on track. A highly critical OECD report last year highlighted systemic failings in Belgium's justice system. Since 2016, the country has secured only three convictions for transnational corruption, involving five individuals – and no company has ever been sanctioned. Many recent cases, the report added, resulted in acquittals due to procedural delays. The report also flagged severe capacity issues: Brussels' investigative judges handle an average of 150 cases each, and just three federal prosecutors are assigned to transnational corruption cases – a workload described as unsustainable by the magistrates. Asked about ongoing issues like understaffing in the police, a spokesperson to the Belgian interior minister said: "we're going to step up the recruitment and training of our police officers. This is a priority." Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the justice minister said that "significant efforts have been made in recent years to bring this specialized service 'up to strength'," but added that such investigators were hard to recruit and retain. They also said that they were in touch with EPPO. Nicoletta Ionta contributed to reporting. (mm) UPDATE: The article has been updated to include statements from the spokespeople of the interior and justice ministries.
Euractiv
09-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Former Croatian minister charged for spending EU money on private dinners
A former Croatia minister of r egional development and EU funds , believed to be Gabrijela Žalac, has been charged with embezzlement on 9 July, less than a month after she was found guilty of abuse of office on a separate charge. The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) filed an indictment against the former minister, who is alleged to have partially paid private restaurant visits with her official representation budget on at least nine occasions between May 2017 and July 2019. The prosecutor's office suggests that the expenses amount to €9.732 of which 85% is believed to have been covered by EU funds, the remainder by Croatian taxpayers. During the investigation – which started in December 2023 – the defendant has paid the full amount as compensation for damages, according to the EU body that has the power to investigate and prosecute crimes affecting the EU's financial interests. Gabrijela Žalac, who served as Croatian minister for regional development and EU funds between 2016 and 2019, is reported to be the minister in question. 'For this criminal offence, she can be sentenced to between 6 months to five years of imprisonment,' EPPO press offices told Euractiv on Wednesday. Last month, Žalac was sentenced to two years in prison by the County Court of Zagreb after pleading guilty to abuse of office and trading in influence, following a 2022 EPPO indictment. The case involved a rigged 2017 public procurement deal worth €1.73 million, benefiting favoured companies through illegal procedures. Despite the tender being annulled, the contract was still awarded, causing at least €1 million in EU budget damage. The former minister then paid €200,000 in partial compensation under a plea deal. The Croatian Ministry for Regional Development and EU Funds did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Elisa Braun contributed reporting. (vib)
Euractiv
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
Qatargate suspect Eva Kaili wins court case against Parliament
Eva Kaili, the former European Parliament vice-president at the centre of the Qatargate corruption scandal, won a legal battle on Tuesday against her former employer in a ruling that reinforces institutional transparency. The EU's General Court, which settles disputes over decisions involving the EU institutions and its officials, annulled the Parliament's decision t o deny Kaili's access to internal documents related to MEPs' misuse of allowances for accredited assistants. She had requested the documents to support her legal defence in an ongoing investigation. The court ruled that the refusal lacked legal basis and could not be justified by the need to protect ongoing judicial proceedings. The documents, the court said, were administrative in nature, adding that neither the requester's identity nor their intended use should matter when applying the EU's core principle of transparency. 'Only the content of the requested document is relevant,' the judgment stated. The Parliament cannot deny disclosure solely 'to avoid having to defend itself against evidence submitted by its opponent in court proceedings." Parliament said it had 'taken due note' of the ruling and was currently analysing it, with two months to appeal. Kaili and her lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wednesday's ruling marks a procedural win for Kaili, who has since 2022 been under investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) for allegedly orchestrating a fraudulent scheme involving up to €150,000 in fake jobs and kickbacks with parliamentary assistants. Previously, the Greek lawmaker had unsuccessfully tried to annul a request to lift her parliamentary immunity, in a decision EPPO chief Laura Codruța Kövesi described as a 'very important' milestone for enabling investigations into sitting MEPs. Kaili then filed a request to access documents related to past cases of misuse of parliamentary allowances. Her lawyers argued that her case was being treated differently, pointing out that 'so far, and without exception, all previous and numerous similar irregularities committed by MEPs [had been] dealt with administratively without involving criminal investigations," the court ruling reads. She also faces corruption and money laundering charges as part of the broader Qatargate case and she has consistently denied any wrongdoing. (mm)
Euractiv
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
EXCLUSIVE: EU prosecutors open probe into far-right group linked to Le Pen
The European Public Prosecutor's Office has launched a formal investigation into allegations of misuse of EU funds by Identity and Democracy, a defunct far-right group in the European Parliament that included France's Rassemblement National, a spokesperson for EPPO said on Tuesday. The spokesperson confirmed to Euractiv that 'EPPO has opened an investigation,' following media reports that ID allegedly misused over €4.3 million in EU funds between 2019 and 2024. The spokesperson declined to comment further, citing the confidentiality of the investigation. No individuals have yet been charged and all are presumed innocent. The case follows findings from a draft audit by the European Parliament, excerpts of which were reported in early July by Le Monde , Germany's Die Zeit , and Austria's Kontraste . The audit reportedly pointed to irregular spending by ID-affiliated parties, including alleged fictitious service contracts, improper procurement procedures, and donations for non-parliamentary activities to groups with links to far-right figureheads, including France's Marine Le Pen. Philip Claeys, ID's former secretary-general, denied wrongdoing. 'All payments made in the last five years have been duly invoiced, justified and controlled,' he previously told Le Monde. EPPO is in charge of investigating serious crimes affecting the financial interests of the EU and liaises with national law enforcement for its investigations. The ID group was dissolved shortly after the last EU elections in June 2024, when it was suceeded by the Patriots for Europe group that sits in the current Parliament. The investigation adds to a growing pile of legal proceedings involving Le Pen and her party. In a separate case earlier this year, a Paris court convicted Le Pen of misusing EU funds related to parliamentary assistant jobs and deemed her ineligible to stand in elections for the next five years. She is appealing the ruling. Le Pen has dismissed the latest allegations as politically motivated. (om)
