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29/01/2026   European Public Prosecutor's Office News

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Press release

Italy: EPPO investigates large international consultancy company suspected of procurement fraud in Lombardy (Luxembourg, 29 January 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Milan (Italy) has requested to the judge at the Court of Milan a precautionary measure prohibiting a large international consultancy company from contracting with the Region of Lombardy (Regione di Lombardia). Evidence suggests that the consultancy company was unlawfully awarded at least 15 tenders by the Region of Lombardy – for a total value of approximately €15 million - for services related to the management of funds financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The tenders were awarded and paid from 2018 to 2025. So far eight individuals, managers and employees of the company, are under investigation for bid rigging and procurement fraud. The investigation uncovered a suspected fraud scheme linked to the awarding and execution of the contracts, which required the bidder to deploy work teams composed of personnel with specific skills and seniority levels. To meet these requirements, the company allegedly deliberately included senior, high-ranking professionals in the declared teams, despite evidence showing that these individuals either never performed the services or worked only a negligible number of hours. To secure payment, the company then submitted periodic reports to the Region of Lombardy containing only general information falsely representing that all listed team members had fully carried out their assigned activities. The EPPO has now requested to the judge in Milan a precautionary measure prohibiting the consultancy company from contracting with the Region of Lombardy. Today, the company under investigation has paid €3 million to the Region of Lombardy, as part of a neutral escrow account totalling €6.8 million, equal to the sum of money they had already received for these contracts. All persons involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty before the competent Italian courts.   The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting, and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.   more   Follow us  |  |  |  Press release Portugal: EPPO carries out searches on suspicion of subsidy fraud involving Covid-19 protective equipment In Portuguese below  (Luxembourg, 29 January 2026) - At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Lisbon (Portugal), multiple searches were conducted today in Lisbon, in a probe into suspected fraud involving EU subsidy fraud and money laundering. The twenty searches were carried out by the Portuguese Judiciary Police (Polícia Judiciária) at residences and the premises of companies under investigation. One suspect was detained and will be presented to the judge. During the searches, three of the suspects had illegal weapons hidden in their home, leading to their arrest in a separate case that will be investigated by the national public prosecutor's office. At issue is a suspected subsidy fraud with funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), within the program PORTUGAL2020, specifically within ‘the Incentive system for productive innovation’ in the context of COVID-19 prevention. The investigation against nine individuals and three companies shows that, in 2020, a company applied for European funds in order to build a factory and laboratory for the production of protective products against Covid-19 (alcohol gel and disinfectants). By using false invoices, the suspects managed to obtain approximately two-thirds of the total eligible expenditure, causing an estimated damage to the EU of €343.207,50.   more   Portugal: Procuradoria Europeia faz buscas por suspeita de fraude com fundos europeus para a produção de equipamentos de proteção contra a Covid-19 (Luxemburgo, 29 de janeiro de 2026) – No âmbito de um inquérito conduzido pelo gabinete da Procuradoria Europeia em Lisboa (Portugal), realizam-se hoje diversas buscas na área de Lisboa, por suspeitas de fraude envolvendo fundos da União Europeia e branqueamento. As diligências, realizadas pela Polícia Judiciária, incluem buscas em 20 locais, residências e sedes de empresas. Um dos suspeitos foi detido fora de flagrante delito e será presente ao juiz. Durante as buscas domiciliárias, três dos suspeitos tinham em casa armas ilegais, o que justificou a sua detenção em flagrante delito e a separação dessa parte dos factos que será investigada pelo Ministério Público nacional. Em causa estão suspeitas de fraude na obtenção de subsidies provindos do Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional (FEDER), no âmbito do programa PORTUGAL2020, concretamente no “Sistema de incentivos à inovação produtiva no contexto do Covid-19”. De acordo com a investigação, contra 9 pessoas singulares e 3 empresas, em 2020, uma empresa candidatou-se a fundos Europeus para a construção de uma fábrica e um laboratório destinados à produção de equipamentos de proteção contra o COVID-19, designadamente alcool-gel e desinfetantes. Mediante a apresentação de faturas falsas, os suspeitos conseguiram receber cerca de dois terços do total das despesas elegíveis na candidatura aprovada, causando um dano de €343.207,50 ao orçamento da UE.   more

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