Former Varna Mayor and Officials Accused of Falsifying Documents for EU Funds

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has charged the former mayor and the former regional governor of Varna, along with two civil servants from the Maritime Administration Executive Agency, as part of an investigation into alleged fraud related to the reconstruction of a fishing port. The charges stem from a report by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

These four individuals are accused of falsifying official documents and providing false information to illegally secure EU funds for a project worth 3.4 million euros, which is co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. The project aimed to enhance the infrastructure of an existing fishing port located on the outskirts of Varna. However, investigators have found that such a port did not exist at the time the EU funding application was made.

According to the findings, the beneficiary sought to access EU funds meant for the improvement of existing fishing ports by constructing several pontoons that served merely as floating piers. This was done to create the illusion that the site qualified as an existing port. Furthermore, the beneficiary allegedly provided misleading information and failed to submit all required documentation needed to obtain the necessary certifications under national law.

The investigation revealed that the land included in the application as an existing port was actually classified in Varna's cadastral plan as rocks, sand, and other structures, not as a port. With assistance from government officials at the Maritime Administration Executive Agency, these parcels were reclassified for permanent use as a port. This misled the Ministry of Transport, which subsequently issued a certificate of occupancy and suitability for a fishing port, despite...