A Czech company and its manager have been convicted of defrauding the European Union of about €220,000 ($258,336) in subsidies for a dust-reduction project, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said. Both admitted giving false information in their funding application and using the purchased sweeping machine for purposes unrelated to the project.
The Regional Court of Ostrava approved a plea bargain, imposing fines of €120,000 ($140,900) each, banning the manager from applying for subsidies for four years, and barring the company from receiving grants for five years. Both have repaid the defrauded funds plus an additional €360,000 ($422,783) from other subsidies following an internal audit, according to EPPO.
