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(Luxembourg, 14 June 2024) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Graz (Austria) filed an indictment yesterday (13 June) against one suspect for subsidy fraud, following an investigation into a €200 000 project financed by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) for Austria.
This is the first indictment in an Austrian court of a case investigated and prosecuted by the EPPO.
On the radar of the EPPO is an individual who is accused of defrauding over €200 000 from the so-called “Reparaturbonus” (“Repair Bonus”) programme financed by the RRF. The “Reparaturbonus” is an initiative by the Austrian government, which promotes and incentivises the repair of electronic devices and household appliances. Its purpose is to encourage sustainability, reduce electronic waste and support local repair business.
It is alleged that, between June 2022 and March 2023, the accused, a small business owner from Vienna, submitted 1041 reimbursement requests for mobile phone reparations he supposedly carried out. In total, he was supposed to receive €201 749 for the reparations, out of which €161 669 was paid out before the managing authority stopped the payments.
The investigation revealed that the suspect’s company only existed on paper and was allegedly used to deceive the authorities. Based on the investigation, the repairs were also never carried out and that the customer data provided by the accused was incorrect.
If found guilty, the defendant could be sentenced to up to five years imprisonment.
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.