As part of the action with the cover name “Database”, police officers conducted searches in Košice and Rožňav, where they seized documents and digital evidence. The case concerns a subsidy in the amount of almost 190,000 euros intended for software development, which, according to the investigators, the recipient should have misused for purposes other than those stipulated in the grant agreement.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bratislava is conducting an investigation into suspected subsidy fraud related to European Union funds. As part of the investigation, they conducted searches of premises in Košice and Rožňav, reports TASR.
- The European Prosecutor’s Office in Bratislava is investigating suspected subsidy fraud with European Union funds.
- As part of the investigation, the police searched premises in Košice and Rožňava.
- The suspicious project was focused on the development of an IT tool for process automation and data protection.
- The company received approximately 189,380 euros from European funds and allegedly did not meet the grant goals.
A suspicious project focused on the development of an IT tool
The anti-corruption unit of the Office for the Fight against Organized Crime (ÚBOK) of the Presidium of the Police Force (PPZ) informed about the Databáza action already on Thursday (March 26).
The investigation concerns a project focused on the development of an IT tool for automating business processes and ensuring the protection of personal data, which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund within the operational program “Research and Innovation”.
According to the investigators, the company – the recipient of the subsidy – received EU funds in the amount of approximately 189,380 euros for the implementation of the project. However, there is a suspicion that the project was not implemented in accordance with the objectives set out in the grant agreement, and EU funds could thus have been used for purposes other than those for which they were provided, EPPO states in a press release.
Inspections and investigations
During searches of the suspect company’s premises, investigators seized computers, documents related to the project and public procurement, as well as software and other digital evidence.
The investigation is ongoing with the support of the ÚBOK in Košice. All affected persons are considered innocent until proven guilty by the relevant Slovak courts.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is an independent EU body responsible for the investigation, prosecution and trial of criminal offenses damaging the Union’s financial interests.
