On June 13, theEuropean Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Graz, Austria, filed charges against a suspect for subsidy fraud. This follows an investigation into a€200,000 project funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) forAustria. The EPPO is an independent prosecution office of the European Union, responsible for investigating, prosecuting, and bringing to judgment crimes against the EU’s financial interests.
The suspect came under EPPO's scrutiny for allegedly defrauding more than €200,000 from the “Reparaturbonus” program, funded by the RRF. The"Reparaturbonus" is an Austrian government initiative aimed atpromoting and encouraging the repair of electronic devices and householdappliances. The program’s goals are to enhance sustainability, reduceelectronic waste, and support local repair businesses.
Allegations
The suspect, a small business owner from Vienna, is accused of submitting 1041 reimbursement claims for phone repairs supposedly carried out between June 2022 and March 2023. In total, he received €201,749 for the repairs, with €161,669 paid out before the competent authority halted the payments.
The investigation revealed that the suspect’s company existed only on paper and was likely used to deceive the authorities. The repairs were allegedly never performed, and the customer details provided by the suspect were incorrect. If found guilty, the suspect faces up to five years in prison.
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