(Luxembourg, 21 November 2024) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bratislava (Slovakia) filed an indictment today against one individual and one company to the Specialised Criminal Court as part of an investigation into EU subsidy fraud and document forgery involving beer production.
The suspect, who was the managing director of the indicted company, has applied for a non-repayable grant of €192 338 in April 2021, financed in its entirety by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), to produce local beer.
According to the evidence obtained, when the Slovak Ministry of the Economy requested documentation in relation to the project, the suspect provided a false certificate on 26 August 2021, certifying that the beer production line was not subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), a process that could significantly delay approval or result in rejection.
This falsified certificate was issued by another criminally liable individual, along with the company he represented, both of whom have already been convicted. By submitting the false document, the suspect circumvented regulatory requirements and fraudulently sought to secure approval for the funding application, undermining the integrity of the funding process and disregarding essential environmental safeguards.
Under the Criminal Code of the Slovak Republic, if found guilty, the suspect in the present case faces imprisonment of up to nine years in total for damaging the financial interests of the EU and falsifying official documents. In addition, he may incur a fine of up to €3 million.
The company may similarly be ordered to pay a fine of up to €1 600 000, and may be barred from receiving EU funds for a period of up to ten years.
All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Slovak courts of law.
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.