site.btaEuropean Prosecutor's Office Carries Out Searches in Bulgaria on Suspicion of Misuse of EU Funds in Boychinovtsi

The European Prosecutor's Office said Tuesday that searches were carried out as part of an investigation into possible misuse of European funds for a project to repair a municipal road network in the Municipality of Boychinovtsi.

The searches were carried out in multiple places in Bulgaria earlier in November, including sites of companies involved in the construction, as well as administrative offices of the municipality of Boychinovtsi. A number of documents were confiscated and witnesses were questioned, the statement read.

On July 9, 2019, the Municipality of Boychinovtsi concluded a contract for financial assistance with the State Fund Agriculture, related to the implementation of a project worth EUR 2.6 million under the EU programme for the development of rural areas. The contract stated that the deadline for disbursing the funds and submitting a request for final payment is 36 months from the date of signing. Since then, the deadline has been extended several times, but so far there has been no evidence that the agreed activities have been completed, nor that the project has been completed.

The investigation is being carried out with the support of the National Police General Directorate and aims to establish the nature and extent of the alleged criminal acts, the statement added.