Hungary: OLAF Investigations Lead to Prison Sentence Against EU Funds Fraudster
29 June 2018
2018-Max_Planck_Herr_Wahl_1355_black white_Zuschnitt.jpg Thomas Wahl

In February 2018, the director of a Hungarian company was convicted at first instance to three and a half years of imprisonment because he was held responsible for having managed a fraud scheme against EU funds. The case was originally investigated by OLAF; together with a so-called judicial recommendation, its findings were submitted to the Hungarian authorities in 2017. An indictment was filed in 2017.

OLAF revealed that the company had applied for EU and national funds for the replacement of machinery; the machinery was never replaced, however, and false declarations and invoices were used to hide the fraud. The total damage to the budgets amount to €2.45 million, worth €2.1 million in EU funds alone. The judgment by the Hungarian Court is subject to appeal.

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EU OLAF

Author

2018-Max_Planck_Herr_Wahl_1355_black white_Zuschnitt.jpg
Thomas Wahl

Institution:
Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law (MPI CSL)

Department:
Public Law Department

Position:
Senior Researcher