EU prosecutors arrest 21 Croatians over suspected farm aid fraud

May 7 (Reuters) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Thursday it had arrested 21 Croatians, including an acting and a former public official, in a probe into ​possible corruption and fraud involving European Union farm ‌subsidies.

The head and a former expert adviser of a payment agency of agricultural funds in one of Croatia’s counties were among those arrested on May 6 in coordination with local police and Croatian tax administration authorities for ‌suspected “abuse ​of office and authority and receiving bribes”, ⁠the EPPO said in ⁠a statement.

The EPPO, which began operations in 2021, is the EU’s independent public prosecution office tasked with investigating and bringing to judgment crimes against the bloc’s financial interests. It first ​announced the investigation into the alleged Croatian corruption on Wednesday.

The acting public official under arrest is suspected of coordinating ⁠with farmers to help prepare, submit and ⁠secure applications for EU farm subsidies under potentially ​irregular circumstances, in exchange for illicit financial benefits, the EPPO said ​on Thursday.

It added that a former expert adviser was ‌suspected of having set up a criminal gang with two other suspects to help farmers obtain farm subsidies by inflating the value of pastureland and falsifying documents in return for financial rewards ⁠since 2020.

Croatia’s interior ministry confirmed on Thursday that police had investigated 21 persons over suspected organised fraud, abuse of position and corruption after ⁠it found irregularities ‌in the allocation of EU farm aid.

“Upon completion ⁠of the criminal investigation, the suspects were remanded ​in ‌custody while criminal charges were filed with the European ​Public Prosecutor’s ⁠Office against a total of 21 persons,” the interior ministry said in a statement.

The arrests followed a scandal in Greece over suspected fraud similarly related to EU farm subsidies that has shaken the centre-right government in recent months.

(Reporting by Angeliki KoutantouEditing by Gareth Jones ​and Paul Simao)