Romanian Officials Indicted in €7 Million EU-Funded Tugboat Fraud

Four Romanian public officials and two other defendants have been indicted over the alleged fraudulent procurement of two tugboats that were supposed to improve navigation on the Lower Danube River but were delivered with drafts too deep for their intended operations.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) announced Monday that it had filed charges against four officials from Romania’s Lower Danube River Administration (AFDJ Gala?i), an individual, and a company in connection with the €7 million project, which was financed through the European Union’s 2014–2020 Large Infrastructure Operational Programme.

The two multipurpose, ice-class tugboats were intended to support navigation along the Lower Danube, including during periods of low water, and assist vessels in distress.

However, prosecutors allege that the tender process was deliberately structured to favor a single supplier.

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