The EU Prosecutor’s Office announced that it has ordered a search of six Bulgarian companies and private properties related to the construction of the “Zheleznitsa” tunnel on the “Struma” highway. The searches are aimed at gathering evidence on suspicions of embezzlement, misuse of European funds and money laundering, the announcement states.
The construction of the tunnel is managed by the Road Infrastructure Agency, which concluded a contract with a consortium of three companies for the implementation of the project, co-financed under the Operational Program “Transport and Transport Infrastructure” (2014-2020). The contractor received nearly BGN 185 million (around EUR 95.6 million), 85 percent through EU funds, the announcement adds, BNT reports.
Following a tip-off from DANS, the European Prosecutor’s Office in Sofia launched an investigation which revealed that one of the companies in the consortium was suspected of several crimes, including embezzlement, misuse of European funds and money laundering. It is alleged that the company under investigation made several fictitious money transfers worth over 11 million BGN (€5.6 million) to a chain of “hollow” companies in a very short time and this led to the withdrawal of large amounts of cash from individuals with criminal records.
These companies and individuals also appear in another pending investigation by the EU Public Prosecutor’s Office into infrastructure projects in the railway sector, the announcement clarifies. It is specified that today the searches were carried out by the General Directorate of the National Police and the National Security Service.
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