The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Ostrava, Czechia, has charged two individuals and one company with subsidy fraud and damaging the financial interests of the European Union. The case involves fake school club and summer camp projects that received EU funding.
Investigators said the suspects applied for subsidies in the Karviná district, claiming to run extracurricular and educational programs for children. In reality, the activities existed only on paper. According to the EPPO, the final project reports included false data about staff, attendance, and wages — even listing payments for employees who never worked.
The fraud caused losses of about €280,000, equivalent to seven million Czech koruna. Around 85 percent of the funds came from the European Social Fund, with the rest provided by the Czech state budget.
Prosecutors also filed charges for an attempted fraud involving another €200,000 in EU funding, which Czech authorities had already rejected. The investigation, led by the regional economic crime unit and the Ministry of Labour, reviewed financial records, witness statements, and banking data. Authorities have frozen assets linked to the suspects’ accounts.
If convicted, the defendants could face up to eight years in prison and the confiscation of assets. All parties remain presumed innocent under Czech law.
The EPPO, headquartered in Luxembourg, is the EU’s independent body responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes against the Union’s financial interests.