SOFIA, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian authorities conducted searches on Monday related to the construction of Zheleznitsa tunnel, the longest road tunnel in Bulgaria, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) said on its website.
The searches took place at six companies and four private houses in two Bulgarian districts, at the request of the EPPO's Office in Sofia, it said.
The searches were intended "to gather evidence in a suspected case of embezzlement, misuse of EU funds and money laundering" linked to the construction of the Zheleznitsa tunnel, which was recently opened for traffic, the EPPO said.
The construction of the Zheleznitsa tunnel, which is part of the Struma motorway, was led by the Bulgarian Road Infrastructure Agency. Bulgarian authorities contracted a consortium of three companies to implement the project, which was co-financed by the European Cohesion Fund, under the Operational Programme "Transport and transport infrastructure" (2014-2020), the EPPO said.
The contractor received approximately 185 million BGN (102 million U.S. dollars), 85 percent of which was financed by European Union (EU) funds, it said.
"After a signal received by Bulgaria's State Agency for National Security, the EPPO in Sofia opened an investigation, which uncovered that one of the companies that is part of the consortium is suspected of several criminal offenses, including embezzlement, misuse of EU funds and money laundering," the EPPO said in the statement.
"The company under investigation allegedly made, in a very short time, several fictitious money transfers amounting to more than 11 million BGN to a chain of hollow companies, which led to a withdrawal of high amounts of cash by individuals with criminal records," the EPPO said. "These companies and individuals are also appearing in another ongoing EPPO investigation concerning infrastructure projects in the railway sector."
An investigation is underway to ascertain the nature and extent of the suspected criminal activities, the EPPO said, adding that the searches on Monday were conducted by Bulgaria's General Directorate of the National Police and the State Agency for National Security.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the EU, responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU. ■
