Romania’s Anticorruption Directorate: Over 100 cases of fraud with EU funds sent to court in 2019

In 2019, prosecutors of the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) sent to court a total of 108 cases of fraud with European funds, DNA chief prosecutor Crin Bologa announced on Monday, July 6. The damages in these cases amounted to about EUR 40 million.

The DNA chief presented the numbers in a speech given at a public hearing organized by the European Parliament via video conference. The subject of the public hearing was "Follow-up of OLAF (e.n. European Anti-Fraud Office) case files, fighting fraud, corruption and other irregularities in the Member States."

In his speech, Crin Bologa presented Romania's perspective on the investigation of fraud with European funds, noting that, although it is an administrative investigation body, the data and information that OLAF provides to the criminal investigation contribute to shortening the investigation time and increasing the efficiency of criminal prosecution measures, News.ro reported.

A total of 84 recommendations have been received from OLAF between 2012 and 2018, Bologa said. Of these, 25 were used in criminal cases sent to court, representing a percentage of 30%.

"On the other hand, in cases of European fraud, DNA's work has been and continues to be much broader than that based on OLAF reports. Criminal cases of this type are based on complaints from various national sources, primarily from the Romanian anti-fraud coordination and control agency, which also ensures contact with OLAF, respectively the Anti-Fraud Department (DLAF), but also from other companies or individuals," DNA said.

Thus, in 2016, DNA prosecutors sent 108 cases of fraud with EU funds to court, involving damages of about EUR 40 million.

(Photo source: Vlad Ispas/Dreamstime.com)