The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Ia?i (Romania) has brought charges against three individuals and five companies for aggravated subsidy fraud and money laundering, following an investigation into an IT project, with an estimated damage of €1 million. Two of the suspects referred to the court of Ia?i remain in pre-trial detention. At issue is a company that requested non-repayable EU funds of up to €2 million (RON 10 953 924), for an IT project for the development of innovative software solutions (Innovative Platform for Rapid and Secure Financial Transactions – PIST). According to the investigation, between 2020 and 2022, the beneficiary of the project submitted false or inaccurate documents for services and goods that were never delivered or purchased, as well as employment contracts for persons who were not actually employed – thus unduly obtaining funds from the EU budget of €1 million. It is understood that these funds, paid out by Romania’s Ministry of Investment and European Projects, were subject to money laundering through domestic and international financial circuits, using shell companies registered in Bulgaria and Spain, and bank accounts in Belgium and Lithuania. According to the evidence, the shares of the Romanian-registered companies suspected of the criminal activities were transferred to Moldovan citizens and to citizens in Italy, in order to prevent potential investigations. Under Romania’s Criminal Code, aggravated subsidy fraud is punishable with up to ten-and-a-half years of imprisonment, and up to ten years for money laundering. The five companies indicted, if convicted, could face fines of up to approximately €420 000 (RON 2 100 000), to which complementary penalties may be added. Earlier in this investigation, in May 2024, three other suspects admitted their guilt and signed plea bargaining agreements, which were submitted to the Ia?i Tribunal. In order to recover the damage to the EU budget and any judicial expenses, the EPPO has seized three apartments and two plots of land with a combined worth of approximately €500 000, and has frozen all bank accounts held by the suspects and their companies. All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Romanian courts of law. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It?is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU. (Source: https://www.eppo.europa.eu/)
In the context in which agri-food systems are responsible for almost one third of global greenhouse gas emissions, Auchan Romania assumes an active role in the transition of its supply chain toward a more sustainable model. At the second edition of the Climate Supplier Event, organized under the aegis of the Climate Change Summit, the […]
Janiva Magness, the winner of seven Blues Music Awards following 26 nominations, and nominated for a Grammy for a career spanning 17 albums, is set to perform at the 14th edition of the Brașov Jazz & Blues Festival, which will take place between August 14–16, 2026. Magness is one of the most valuable and influential […]
Auction house Artmark announced a major auction for this winter featuring an engraving created by Francisco Goya, the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Romania's late communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu received this gift from King Juan Carlos I as a gesture of diplomacy. The engraving entitled “The Engagement – Capricho […]
Authorities managing Romania's Bicaz Gorges–Hășmaș National Park has built a fish ladder system on the Bicaz River, which will allow protected species to migrate and reproduce. There are several bridges and small bridge structures in the Bicaz River that have a “bottom sill,” meaning small waterfalls. Fish that do not jump like the trout cannot […]
The far-right opposition parties in the Romanian Parliament are set to file a motion of no confidence against the government headed by prime minister Ilie Bolojan. The motion, authored by senator Ninel Peia of the Peace – Romania First group, is specifically aimed at the reformist party Save Romania Union (USR), and is entitled “Romania […]
Romania's iconic rock singer Adrian Pleșca, known as “Artan,” died on Tuesday, December 2, after a fatal stroke, at the age of 64. The artist founded the well-known band “Timpuri Noi” in 1982 and “Partizan” in 2001, and was popular on the Romanian rock scene. Over the years, he left and returned to the two bands. Several […]
