Bulgaria: European prosecutors probe suspected procurement fraud in Plovdiv’s green space project

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Sofia, searches were carried out on October 20 in Plovdiv municipality and at a company, suspected of public procurement fraud related to the improvement of urban green and public space in the city of Plovdiv, EPPO said in a media statement.

The investigation, carried out with the support of the General Directorate of the National Police, started after suspicions of fraud and abuse of power linked to a public procurement project of 1 532 173 euro (2 996 670 leva), co-financed at 59 per cent by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), for improving the quality of urban green areas and open public spaces in Plovdiv. 

According to the investigation, the manager and legal representative of the contracting company are suspected of having submitted falsified documentation reflecting inflated quantities and prices.

The case further involves allegations of abuse of power in 2022-2023 by former public officials of the municipality of Plovdiv, the statement said, without naming these officials.

The searches and document seizures of today were aimed at gathering evidence in this ongoing investigation, EPPO said.

(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)