The European Public Prosecutor’s Office conducts searches in Romania

Panic among the officials of the Galati River Administration of the Lower Danube and the Romanian Naval Authority. On Wednesday, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office conducts 12 searches in Romania in the case of the purchase of two tugboats worth 7 million euros.

“Today, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) is conducting 12 searches as part of an investigation targeting officials of the Lower Danube River Administration Galati (AFDJ) and the Romanian Naval Authority (ANR). In the case we are talking about a suspicion of fraud related to the purchase of two tugboats – powerful boats used to tow larger boats and ships – for the Lower Danube Delta,” the European Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Wednesday in a press release.

The institution specifies that three searches took place in three public institutions – one in Galati County and two in Constanța County. Seven other searches took place at the homes of civil servants who work for these institutions, and two took place at private companies.

“According to the evidence collected so far in this investigation, civil servants from AFDJ Galati, as its representatives, obtained European funding through the Large Infrastructure Operational Program (POIM) for the purchase of two multifunctional tugboats. This was the result of a public procurement contract launched in September 2019, for a total amount of 35,144,000 lei (approximately 7 million euros)”, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office also sent.

Prosecutors allege that civil servants submitted inaccurate documents to finance the project.