10 September 2026 , 21:09
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The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Katowice (Poland) filed an indictment on 8 September 2026 at the Circuit Court in Katowice against two suspects accused of attempting to fraudulently obtain €3.3 million in EU funding to establish nurseries across the country.
The defendants, acting jointly and on behalf of a series of companies represented by them, filed 15 applications to obtain subsidies to open nurseries all over Poland. The applications were submitted online to several financing institutions, namely the regional authorities in the Silesian, Pomeranian, Warmian–Masurian, Lublin, Lesser Poland and Greater Poland Voivodeships. All the communication between suspects and financing authorities was also conducted online.
The defendants requested funds amounting to €3 333 407,10 (PLN 14 333 650,44), co-financed by the European Social Fund+ (MF 2021-2027) and the State budget, through the programme “Maluch+” (‘Toddler+’).
When the financing entities asked the defendants to provide documents confirming their rights to the premises where the nurseries were set to be opened, they provided lease contracts, after which the funding applications were approved.
However, it was later discovered that the lease contracts were fake and that the suspects did not own or have rights to any property in the cities where the nurseries were supposed to open. The payments were put on hold after police alerted the financing institutions that the contracts may have been falsified.
The investigation confirmed that the documents had been forged, and as a result, the payments were not made.
The suspects were charged with 15 offences of falsifying documents, presenting them with false statements to the financing institutions and attempted fraud.
If found guilty, they face between six months and 10 years of imprisonment.
The investigation, led by the EPPO, was carried out by the Municipal Police Headquarters in Katowice (Komenda Miejska Policji w Katowicach).
All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Polish courts of law.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.
World Affairs Correspondent