Based on its investigations, USKOK launched an investigation against five officials of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MVEP), and the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) launched an independent investigation against two more officials of that ministry for fraud involving accommodation costs.
The EPPO and USKOK reported that seven Ministry officials are suspected of criminal acts of abuse of office and authority in both parallel investigations.
USKOK announced that the investigation included five Croatian citizens aged 37 to 57 on suspicion that from March 2019 to November 29, 2024, as employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, after official trips abroad, in accordance with a mutual agreement, they created false invoices in which they falsely presented inflated accommodation costs.
According to Uskok's suspicions, a 44-year-old and a 53-year-old created two fake hotel invoices after a business trip to Germany and one fake hotel invoice after a business trip to Ireland.
A 44-year-old and a 43-year-old also created two fake hotel bills after a business trip to Serbia, while a 44-year-old, a 43-year-old and a 57-year-old created three fake hotel bills from a business trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition, a 44-year-old and a 37-year-old are suspected of creating two fake bills after a business trip to Romania.
Based on false invoices, USKOK suspects, they submitted claims for travel expenses that were approved and paid for, thereby obtaining undue material gain for themselves, while damaging the state budget by 3582 euros.
USKOK states that they have issued a decision imposing measures prohibiting the performance of business activities against four employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.
EPPO: The duo falsified accounts on 24 occasions
The EPPO announced that two suspects in its investigation into fake accounts were arrested today following investigative actions carried out in cooperation with USKOK.
The European Public Prosecutor's Office suspects that the duo, from July 2020 to the end of September 2024, were involved in unauthorized financial fraud related to their official trips abroad, which related to a project to install security equipment for diplomatic missions and consular offices abroad.
The EPPO points out that this is a project co-financed by the Internal Security Fund - Instrument for Financial Support for External Borders and Visa and the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia.
The European Public Prosecutor's Office suspects that the duo forged hotel invoices on 24 occasions, entering incorrect information about the name of the bill recipient, the number of nights and the cost of accommodation. They then attached the forged invoices to official travel orders in order to fraudulently obtain reimbursement of travel expenses.
Based on such falsified documentation, they were paid around 26.000 euros in unjustified travel expenses, half of which was paid from the EU's Internal Security Fund.
All seven suspects, as unofficially reported, pleaded guilty during questioning before prosecutors.
Photo: Photo: FAH/Denis Cerić
