The mayor faces the indictment for the use of fake documents when applying for a subsidy for a cycle route, with a sentence of up to six years in prison and a fine of three million euros.
The European Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bratislava filed an indictment at the Specialized Criminal Court against the unnamed Slovak mayor in the framework of investigation concerning EU subsidies in the construction of the cycle route in the Trnava region. TASR reports on this on the basis of Monday’s EPPO statement.
In October 2018, the suspect applied for a non -repayable financial contribution of EUR 757,828 to build a cycle route, which is financed from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), at 85 percent of costs.
False documents for payments
It follows from the evidence obtained that he filed applications for payment in February and May 2021 for the purchase and use of building materials. Reportedly, he used partly false documents that declared the purchase of more expensive building materials than the gravel, which had previously been extracted from a nearby pond as part of its revitalization funded by the European Union.
The suspect caused possible damage of EUR 94 842 – EUR 84 859 from ERDF and the remaining EUR 9983 from national funds. According to EPPO, the on -site inspection was found to be a non -compliance between some of the required and actually used building materials. Therefore, the required payment was not made.
A potential punishment for the accused
The accused is subject to a prison sentence of up to six years if proven guilty. In addition, a fine of three million euros may be imposed.
