The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Timisoara (Romania) has accused seven individuals and two companies of subsidy fraud and forgery, involving three projects regarding the development of fruit harvesting and processing, with a value of over €1.4 million. According to the investigation, between February 2019 and June 2024, the suspects, including a mayor, successfully applied in the name of two companies for three projects financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). They allegedly falsified documents regarding the information of the beneficiary of the projects and the employees of the companies to proof their eligibility to apply for the projects. In the early stages of the investigation, a lawyer, who is also a suspect in this investigation, encouraged certain witnesses to provide false statements, helping the main suspects and obstructing the investigation. The European Delegated Prosecutor in charge of the investigation ordered the detention of the seven suspects and he will request their pre-trial detention. EPPO has seized buildings, lands and money belonging to the suspects. The investigation and searches counted on the support of the EPPO Support Structure in Romania: Timisoara and Iasi EPPO Offices (Structura de sprijin a procurorilor europeni delegati în Romania – Birourile Teritoriale Timisoara si Iasi), Timis County Police Inspectorate – Economic Crime Investigation Service (Inspectoratul de Politie Judetean Timis – Serviciul de investigare a criminalit?tii economice), Special Operations Brigade Timisoara (Brigada de Operatiuni Speciale Timis), Organised Crime Brigade Timisoara (Brigada de combatere a criminalit?tii organizate Timisoara) and the Mobile Group of Gendarmes Timisoara (Gruparea mobile de jandarmi Timisoara). The 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/)
The number of people in Romania at risk of poverty stood at 3.59 million people in 2024, 375,000 fewer than in 2023, representing a 9.4% decrease, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics, or INS. Despite the improvement, nearly one in five Romanians was affected by poverty last year. According to INS, 19% […]
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Cluj-Napoca carried out multiple searches on Tuesday, July 1, at the Sibiu International Airport and the Sibiu County Council as part of an investigation into suspected fraud involving a EUR 54 million EU-funded infrastructure project. A total of 24 locations were searched across Bucharest, Brașov, and Sibiu county, […]
A Romanian taxi driver who scammed 90-year-old Nigerian Nobel Prize laureate Wole Soyinka was detained by police on Sunday, June 29, according to media reports. On Friday, June 27, the venerable Nigerian arrived at Bucharest's Otopeni Airport. He got into a taxi and asked to be taken to a hotel downtown. At the destination, the […]
Costin Șerban, a Romanian entrepreneur, is digitalizing the construction sector in the United Kingdom with an ERP (enterprise resource planning) solution developed over 12 years and an investment of GBP 1.6 million (EUR 1.86 million). Șerban’s cloud-based ERP platform is called Abilo, was developed by the Romanian IT company Obi Systems, and is dedicated to […]
Border checks between Bulgaria and Romania have officially been lifted on July 1, as part of the implementation of the Schengen Agreement. The lifting marks the end of the transitional period of heightened control at the internal border, which had remained in place for six months following their accession to the Schengen area by land […]
Remus Vulpescu became CEO of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) on Tuesday, July 1, taking over from Adrian Tănase as the stock exchange grapples with a market dominated by government bonds. Vulpescu, 53, is a graduate in political and legal sciences from the University of Bucharest and holder of an EMBA obtained in 2017. He […]
