site.btaEPPO Indicts Two Bulgarians for EUR 66 Mln Fraud Involving EU Funding for Employment Support

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Sofia announced Friday the indictment of two individuals suspected of defrauding the European Social Fund (ESF) and national co-financing of a total of EUR 66,750. 

The defendants are the manager of a Bulgarian company and a project manager. They are accused of submitting false information to the Bulgarian Ministry of Labour and Social Policy to fraudulently obtain funding intended to support employment opportunities for unemployed and inactive people. The funds were made available under the Human Resources Development Operational Programme 2014-2020. The project was intended to provide job opportunities and professional training to individuals seeking to enter or re-enter the workforce.

The investigation revealed that false documents - including false employment contracts - were used to give the impression that the project objectives were being met.