Fraud Involving EU Funds: 8 People Received Subsidies for Declared Pastures

The Ministry of the Interior has referred a case of alleged misuse of agricultural subsidies worth more than €350,000 in municipalities in the regions of Kardzhali and Haskovo to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

More than 8,600 decares of land were declared, mainly as pastures, despite not actually being such. The findings were made by the Economic Police in Kardzhali and the State Fund Agriculture. A 57-year-old man has been detained in connection with the case.

Eight people who do not live in Kardzhali declared nearly nine square kilometres of land as pastures for use. As a result, they received EU subsidies for a period of two years. A police inspection found numerous irregularities.

Radoslav Uzunov, Head of Sector at the Kardzhali Regional Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior:

“In some places there are unmown meadows and uncleared pastures. In one location, there is even a house with a farm yard and a notarial deed, while according to the documents, the land should be a pasture.”

One of those affected by the scheme is Behchet Seidov from Chernoochene. He owns the house and the land that was declared as pasture, and he learned about the alleged fraud only a few days ago.

– How long has this house been there?

Behchet Seidov: “Four or five years—no, no, months.”

– Did you know that this land was registered as pasture and that payments were being claimed for it?

Behchet Seidov: “No, I didn’t.”

Among the plots declared as pastures were even areas of forest. The participants in the scheme, which had operated without interruption, were related individuals.

Radoslav Uzunov, Head of Sector at the Kardzhali Regional Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior: “What connects these individuals is that one person among them applies on behalf of all the others using a power of attorney. Some of them are also members of the same family.”

A 57-year-old man was detained this afternoon in connection with the alleged fake pasture scheme. The investigation is ongoing and is expected to establish how agricultural authorities allowed fraud of such a large scale to take place.