Searches have been carried out at two hospitals in Latvia as part of a European investigation into suspected fraud involving EU-funded procurement contracts.
The raids were requested by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Riga and form part of an inquiry into suspected aggravated fraud and abuse of office, EPPO said.
The investigation concerns two public procurement contracts — one for sterilisation equipment and another for medical technology services — with a combined value of €657,000.
The contracts were financed through the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and Latvia’s national budget.
The RRF is the EU funding programme set up to support recovery projects across member states.
Allegations of a pre-arranged bidder
Investigators suspect that, before the procurement procedures began, an agreement was reached between a pre-determined company and a member of the hospitals’ procurement committee to ensure the company won the contract, the EPPO said.
Evidence gathered so far indicates that technical specifications and other requirements were tailored to favour that bidder, giving it an unjustified competitive advantage and enabling it to secure the contract.
The investigation is being carried out with support from Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), according to the EPPO.
All those concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in Latvian courts, the EPPO said.
