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OLAF unravels the scheme of abuse of EU funds: How were the beneficiaries selected with fake offers and no competition?

OLAF unravels the scheme of abuse of EU funds: How were the beneficiaries

The Office against Economic Fraud in the EU, OLAF, has revealed the corrupt scheme of distributing EU funds to farmers in Albania.

In the annual report for 2024, OLAF indicates that after investigations, including the use of digital scientific techniques and research of documents related to IPARD II recipients, AZHBR and other economic operators, it found irregularities during the phase of granting grants and the implementation of some projects.

According to OLAF, farmers were bribed with significant portions of the grants through pre-selected consulting companies. While in many cases the beneficiaries of the funds were selected with rigged competitions.

“Applicants were required to pay a significant portion of their grant to a local consulting company. In other cases contracts were awarded without competition or through a rigged competition with false bids, while in some projects inflated prices and violations of contractual rules were found,” the OLAF report says.

 

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