(Luxembourg, 8 April 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Brno (Czechia) has dismantled an organised crime group involving public officials suspected of wrongdoing in subsidy procedures for the reconstruction of research premises. Seven suspects were detained today, including three public officials.
A total of 13 house and company searches were carried out, including at the premises of Czechia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, with the support of the Police of the Czech Republic, National Centre Against Organized Crime (Policie ?eské republiky, Národní centrála proti organizovanému zlo?inu). A substantial amount of evidence was seized, as well as a building and over €2 million (CZK 51 million) in bank accounts.
At issue are EU subsidies from the Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation for Competitiveness (OP EIC), allegedly obtained illicitly for developing…
This category refers to crimes committed by employees or insiders against their own organizations. It is often the most damaging because the perpetrator has authorized access to systems.
- Asset Misappropriation: The most common form, involving the theft of company resources. This ranges from simple “skimming” (taking cash before it’s recorded) to complex schemes involving the theft of inventory or intellectual property.
- Payroll Fraud: Employees may create “ghost employees” on the system, falsify their own timesheets to claim unworked overtime, or divert salary payments to their own accounts.
- Financial Statement Fraud: Management deliberately misrepresents the company’s financial health by inflating revenue or hiding liabilities to attract investors or meet performance bonuses.