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20/03/2026   European Public Prosecutor's Office News

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Latvia: Three convicted in EPPO investigation into procurement fraud involving agricultural funds (Luxembourg, 20 March 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Riga (Latvia) has secured a conviction at the Riga city court against two individuals and one legal entity, in a case involving a procurement fraud affecting EU agricultural funds. The case concerns a project for the reclamation of agricultural land and the reconstruction of an amelioration system, funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and administered by the Latvian Rural Support Service. The total damage to the EU budget amounted to €95 803.67. According to the investigation, the beneficiary of the project colluded with another operator to manipulate the public procurement procedure, ensuring that a pre-selected company would be awarded the contract. In reality, the works were not carried out by the contracted company but by the beneficiary itself, using its own resources, in breach of applicable procurement rules. The court of first instance found both individuals guilty of large-scale fraud. The main defendant was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine corresponding to ten minimum monthly wages. The second individual received a suspended sentence with a probation period of three years and a fine corresponding to five minimum monthly wages.   more

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