Romanian anti-organized crime prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into the EUR 85 million RO-NET project, which aimed to introduce broadband internet in Romania’s isolated rural areas with EU money.

The Directorate for Combatting Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) is conducting an “in rem” investigation looking into the possible creation of an organized crime group that may have taken advantage of this project for their own benefit. No person has been prosecuted in this case yet.

The organized crime group allegedly damaged the interests of the Communications Ministry, and implicitly, of the Romanian state, according to prosecutors. The ministry was asked to give prosecutors documents and information about the RO-NET project, reports local Hotnews.ro.

This should have been completed in December 2015, but has recorded repeated delays. The project is implemented by Telekom Romania, which won the bid in 2014. So far, the work for introducing broadband internet has been finalized in about half of the 781 villages included in this project, according to data from Telekom Romania and the Communications Ministry.

The project was kicked off in 2013 by the former communications minister Dan Nica, who is also under investigation in the Microsoft II criminal case in connection with overpriced IT license purchases made by the Romanian state.

editor@romania-insider.com