Four individuals in Bulgaria face charges of fraud in a €94.5 million EU-funded railway project. Authorities allege they provided false information to secure a lucrative contract. This was reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Four individuals in Bulgaria face charges of fraud in a €94.5 million EU-funded railway project
Source, photo: www.eppo.europa.eu

Investigation Exposes €94.5 Million Fraud in Bulgaria

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has brought fraud charges against four individuals tied to a Bulgarian railway project. This €94.5 million project aimed to improve signalling and telecommunication systems between Plovdiv and Burgas. Investigators discovered that the consortium, which included four companies, falsified documents to win the tender.

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Two managers of an Italian company, one Bulgarian manager, and a former director of the National Company Railway Infrastructure are accused. Evidence revealed the suspects falsely claimed expertise in Global Systems for Mobile Communication on Railway (GSM-R) and Future Railway Mobile Communication Systems (FRMCS), which allowed them to secure the project unlawfully.

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The consortium pledged to complete the work independently but later hired an Austrian subcontractor. This subcontractor, previously excluded from the procurement process for lacking qualifications, completed parts of the project. The former director allegedly authorized payments despite knowing the information provided by the consortium was false.

Three accused individuals received bail of €50,000, while the fourth paid €5,000. One manager is also barred from leaving Bulgaria during ongoing investigations. The EPPO continues its efforts to protect EU financial interests and bring those involved to justice.

All individuals remain presumed innocent until proven guilty in a Bulgarian court.

Source, photo: www.eppo.europa.eu

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