Major sheep breeder in Romania detained for EU subsidies scheme

A major sheep breeder in Romania and the president of the “Dacia” Sheep Breeders Association, Dumitru Andreșoi, has been placed in detention for 30 days in a case led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) for illegally obtained EU subsidies.

Prosecutors say that Andreșoi “set up a criminal scheme to obtain EU subsidies for pastures that were ineligible for funding.” He received approximately EUR 2.2 million in European agricultural funds as a result.

“Based on the evidence, between 2018 and 2023, the sheep breeder used employees to identify pastures which he did not own and to lease them in the name of his parents and of a commercial company controlled by him, in order to fraudulently obtain EU funds. Public officials from Romania’s Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA) – Hunedoara County Centre colluded in the scheme,” the EPPO said in a press release.

Along with Dumitru Andreșoi, the court ordered the detention and house arrest for Veronica Topor, deputy director of APIA Hunedoara, and Marius Szabo, a service head within the same institution. In addition, eight more individuals were charged, including another five public officials.

Before he was detained, Andreșoi had requested an additional EUR 1.6 million in funding through APIA. However, the funds were not released to him.

A freezing order was issued in order to compensate for the damage to the EU budget.

(Photo source: Senatorjoanna | Dreamstime.com)