Last week, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bucharest (Romania) charged three individuals with fraud, following an investigation into projects for the modernisation of irrigation systems, supported by the EU, https://www.eppo.europa.eu/ informs. The suspects, who are accused of unduly receiving an advance of €1.2 million, were informed of the charges and of their rights and obligations. At issue are three organisations, which obtained support from Romania’s Agency for Financing Rural Investments (AFIR) for four projects to modernise existing irrigation systems in the municipalities of Buc?ani, Galicea and Olanu, in Vâlcea County. The total amount of the grants for the four projects was approximately €4 million euros (RON 18 575 634,53), in non-reimbursable funds. An advance payment of €300 000 euro (RON 1 399 050.50) was made for each of the four projects. Our investigation showed that false or inaccurate documents were used for the four projects, both when they were submitted to obtain funding and during their execution. Moreover, based on the evidence, the beneficiaries of the funds used the majority of the advance payment for their own benefit, and not for the purpose for which they had been granted. The investigation is ongoing, in order to ascertain the extent of the suspected criminal activities. 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.?
Six men and one woman from Romania have been accused of recruiting dozens of children and adults from foster care centers, whom they then transported to Hungary, where they turned them into slaves, forcing them to work under inhumane conditions. The accused are from the localities of Ozun and Chilieni, Covasna County, Romania, and allegedly […]
The Museum of Collectivization, the first in Romania dedicated to the forced collectivization period of the communist era, is set to open a new wing, Corp B, funded through the EU-backed National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration (AFCN). With the new building, the museum located in Tămășeni, […]
Romania’s “Madrigal – Marin Constantin” National Chamber Choir, conducted by Anna Ungureanu, will be in Luxembourg and Belgium, as part of the “Bridges Across Europe/Punți peste Europa” European tour, where it will perform five extraordinary concerts. The performances will take place between November 20 and 25, with the help of the Ministry of Culture, the Romanian Embassy […]
The European Development Bank approved a EUR 140 million loan for Romania’s “Cultural Foundations” project, aimed at preserving historical monuments and constructing cultural buildings in the country. The project targets 14 investment objectives of national and European relevance, administered by public institutions under the Ministry of Culture, including the Romanian Athenaeum, the Romanian National Operas […]
Bucharest, November 14, 2024 – Exim Banca Romaneasca offers clients the possibility to verify the true identity of the beneficiary when initiating a payment in RON through internet or mobile banking. This is enabled by the bank’s adoption of the Beneficiary Name Display Service (SANB), which helps prevent fraud and reduces erroneous transactions caused by […]
Fifty NGOs and civic groups, along with the Bucharest Environmental Platform, have drawn up an open letter calling on Romania’s Ministry of Environment, Waters, and Forests to urgently approve the Management Plan for the Văcărești Natural Park in Bucharest. They say the plan has been pending approval for nearly a year. The non-profits noted that […]
