(Luxembourg, 22 October 2024) – The Specialised Criminal Court of Slovakia has convicted one individual and one company following an indictment filed last year by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bratislava. The investigation concerned fraud involving projects for the cultivation of vineyards and orchards in the eastern part of Slovakia, in the area known as Tokaj.
The Court imposed a suspended sentence of 18 months of imprisonment on the managing director of the company, with a two-year-long probationary period, as well as a €3 000 fine. Failure to pay the fine could result in additional six months of imprisonment.
The company itself was also found guilty in whole, and ordered to pay a fine of €5 000. In addition, it was banned from receiving EU funds for a period of three years.
As previously reported, the investigation looked into fraud connected to the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), committed between 2018 and 2020. The defendant submitted incorrect statements, in which she claimed her company was managing specific agricultural areas. However, inspections revealed that those areas had not been farmed in accordance with the legal requirements for a long time.
It is estimated that the defendant’s actions caused over €45 000 in damage to the EU’s budget, and that additional damage of over €41 000 would have occurred if the irregularities had not been discovered.
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.