Bulgaria: suspected irregularities of over €140 million in railway infrastructure project

Summary:

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) have conducted investigations into possible irregularities in the implementation of a railway infrastructure project in Bulgaria, funded by the European Union. The OLAF investigation focused on financial damage caused by suspected irregularities in the procurement procedure and project implementation, resulting in recommendations to recover over u20ac38 million and prevent the further spending of u20ac92 million. The EPPO's investigation is ongoing and focuses on possible criminal offenses, including misuse of EU funds and money laundering, involving a second railway project estimated to be an additional u20ac111 million.