The Sofia City Court (SCC) has found a company manager guilty after an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor's Office in Sofia. The verdict was issued following a plea agreement, in an investigation into fraud with subsidies, involving funds from the European Social Fund and national co-financing, for a total amount of 66,750 euros. This is stated in a press release from the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which does not mention the name of the convicted person, nor the company he manages, BTA reports.
The Sofia City Court sentenced the person to 11 months in prison, suspended with a probationary period of three years, as well as a fine of over 500 euros. The verdict is final and cannot be appealed.
The fraud involved the submission of false information by the company manager and an accomplice, acting as a project manager, to the Bulgarian Ministry of Labor and Social Policy in order to obtain funding intended to support sustainable employment opportunities.
In 2021, the company signed a contract with the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy in its capacity as the Managing Authority of the Operational Program for Human Resources Development 2014-2020 with the aim of providing job opportunities, vocational training and qualification to people wishing to enter or return to the labor market.
However, the investigation revealed that in 2021 and 2022, numerous false signatures and falsified employment contracts were made to create the impression that the project objectives were being met. These documents were then submitted as part of the financial and technical reports required for the final payment.