European Public Prosecutor's Office: Four charged with millions of fraud involving railway signalling systems

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Sofia (Bulgaria) has brought charges of fraud against four suspects, following an investigation into a project to design and build signalling and telecommunication systems on the Bulgarian rail network. The project, which concerns the railway section between Plovdiv and Burgas, is worth over €94.5 million (BGN 184 999 094, 97) in EU financing.

The contract for the execution of the project was awarded to a consortium formed by four companies. Two managers of an Italian company and the manager of a Bulgarian company, part of the consortium that won the contract, have been charged with public procurement fraud. A former director of the National Company Railway Infrastructure has also been charged.

A €50 000 bail was imposed on three of the accused, and of €5000 for the fourth. In addition, the manager of the Bulgarian company is prohibited from leaving the country.

According to the investigation, the legal representatives of the companies which formed the consortium submitted false information to the National Company Railway Infrastructure, in order to illegally obtain EU funds. In particular, they declared that one of the companies had previous experience in Global Systems for Mobile Communication on Railway (GSM-R) and on the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), which allowed them to win the tender. However, based on the evidence, none of the four companies had the necessary experience.

It is understood that the former general director of the National Company Railway Infrastructure signed the contract and authorised the payments, despite knowing that the information submitted was untrue.

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