The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) announced that 21 people have been arrested in Croatia on suspicion of corruption and subsidy fraud related to European agricultural funds.
Among those arrested are a former expert advisor at a branch of the Croatian Agency for Payments in Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development and the manager of the same branch of the Agency, reports Index.hr.
The EPPO states that it suspects them of abuse of position and authority, and accepting bribes.
The arrests were carried out after 30 searches involving around 150 police officers, in cooperation with the Sisak-Moslavina Police Department and financial investigators from the Tax Administration.
According to the EPPO, since 2020, a former employee of the Agency has connected two other people in a criminal association to enable farmers to obtain undeserved European support, in exchange for financial compensation.
It is suspected that they artificially increased the area of agricultural land in the registers and forged documentation proving their agricultural activities.
Among the disputed documents are false invoices for the sale of manure and unreliable laboratory soil analyses that were attached to applications for European funds.
According to the evidence collected so far, Index.hr reports, the suspects attempted to illegally obtain a total of around 670.000 euros, of which around 357.000 euros were paid out.
They allegedly received at least 36.000 euros in bribes for their services.
The EPPO also alleges that the head of the Agency's branch agreed with at least four farmers to assist in preparing and submitting applications for support in exchange for an illegal financial benefit.
Investigators suspect criminal acts of abuse of position and authority, accepting and giving bribes, subsidy fraud, and forgery of documents committed as part of a criminal association.
The EPPO recalls that all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a Croatian court.
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