Czech authorities said police have detained 22 people and conducted 46 searches in connection with suspected corruption at the country's largest hospital. The case involves 160 million euros in European Union funds, Reuters reports.
Indictments have been filed against 16 people for corruption, subsidy fraud, damage to the EU's financial interests and money laundering, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and Czech police said in separate statements.
The EPPO said it suspected "serious corruption" in projects funded or co-financed by the EU.
According to their allegations, the 16 suspects, whose names were not released, abused public procurement procedures by "demanding and providing illegal financial benefits" in the implementation of the contract for the Motol University Hospital in Prague.
The hospital was not immediately available for comment.
The Czech Ministry of Health said it had no additional information about the investigation, but was ready to cooperate or take appropriate measures.
More than 350 police officers raided a hospital, companies and a law firm. Czech police said the investigation into the group began in 2023.
The main suspects face prison sentences of up to 12 years if convicted, police said.
The Czech Republic ranks higher than other Central European countries in Transparency International's rankings, although the organization has warned that insufficient transparency leaves public procurement vulnerable to influence.
In a separate case, the EPPO last year led an investigation into public contracts for the supply of medical equipment for hospitals, which led to the arrest of 10 people.
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