European Prosecutor’s Office arrests 21 in Croatia over EU subsidy fraud case

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said on May 7 it has detained 21 people in Croatia, including a current and a former public official, as part of an investigation into suspected corruption and fraud involving EU agricultural subsidies.

Among those arrested on May 6, in cooperation with Croatian police and tax authorities, were the head and a former expert adviser of a county-level agricultural payments agency, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

They are suspected of “abuse of office and authority and ​receiving bribes,” the EPPO said.

The EU’s independent prosecution body, which began operations in 2021, is responsible for investigating crimes against the bloc’s financial interests.

It opened the probe on May 6.

According to EPPO, the acting official is suspected of working with farmers to prepare and submit subsidy applications and secure EU funds under irregular conditions in exchange for illegal payments.

A former adviser is also accused of forming a criminal network with two others, allegedly helping farmers obtain subsidies by inflating pastureland data and falsifying documents in return for financial gain since 2020.

Croatian authorities in Zagreb did not immediately comment.

The arrests come shortly after a separate scandal in Greece involving suspected fraud linked to EU farm subsidies.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov