Company Manager Sentenced in Sofia following European Public Prosecutor's Office Investigation

The Sofia City Court has sentenced a company director to eleven months’ suspended imprisonment, with a probation period of three years, and a fine exceeding €500. The ruling follows an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Sofia into a subsidy fraud involving funds from the European Social Fund (ESF) and national co-financing, amounting to a total of €66,750. The verdict is final and cannot be appealed.

The fraud involved the submission of false information by the company director and an accomplice, acting as project manager, to Bulgaria’s Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, in order to illicitly obtain funding intended to support sustainable employment opportunities.

In 2021, the company signed a contract with the Ministry, acting as the managing authority for the Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2014–2020, aimed at providing employment opportunities, professional training, and skills development for individuals seeking to enter or re-enter the labour market.

However, the investigation revealed that in 2021 and 2022 numerous forged signatures and falsified employment contracts were created to give the impression that the project’s objectives were being met. These documents were subsequently submitted as part of the financial and technical reports required for final payment.