Police Arrest 22 Suspects During Probe Into Major Fraud Linked to European Union COVID-19 Recovery Fund

Authorities in Italy have carried out 22 arrests and seized assets totaling over 600 million euros ($638 million) as part of an inquiry into fraud linked to the European Union (EU) COVID-19 pandemic recovery fund. Items confiscated during the raids included villas, Rolex watches, Cartier jewelry, gold, cryptocurrencies, and high-end vehicles such as Lamborghinis and Porsches. With police investigations into the Qatargate scandal still ongoing, this latest embarrassment comes at a time when the European political bloc’s reputation for financial probity is already deeply damaged.

Three of the 22 arrests were made in Slovakia, two in Austria, with the remainder taking place in Italy. Simultaneous searches were also conducted in Romania. In carrying out the arrests, Italian law enforcement officials are said to have worked closely with staff from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO). Notably, therefore, while the EPPO’s 2023 annual report revealed an overall total of 1,927 ongoing investigations involving 19.2 billion euros in suspected fraud, some believe this may simply be the tip of the iceberg.

In an additional new probe, the EPPO and authorities in Greece are also examining allegations of fraud related to the distribution of 2.5 billion euros in EU COVID-19 recovery funds to Greek companies. Here, the investigation focuses on suspicions that firms colluded to limit competition during public tender processes, potentially inflating fees. The allegations reflect growing concerns over a lack of transparency and fair competition in the EU’s distribution of recovery funds across its member states.

Ironically, it appears the alleged fraudsters may have found it easier to access the funds than most of the EU’s member states. According to reports, European governments have received less than a third of the bloc’s original 723 billion euro pandemic recovery pot and are pushing for the payouts to be speeded up. However, the European Court of Auditors, the EU’s auditing watchdog, believes that weak safeguards are increasing the scope for fraud. Even prior to the launching of the Italian and Greek investigations, the Court had openly warned of possible corruption in the spending of the funds.

In this respect it is now clear that crime syndicates have become skilled at pocketing money distributed by the EU for development and reconstruction. Given that cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence (AI), and offshore servers were reportedly used to facilitate the Italian fraud, it seems the bloc’s stated ambition to become a world leader in the regulation of AI is already being undermined.

With its post-COVID-19 recovery fund rapidly turning into a full-scale political disaster, the EU is increasingly facing calls for transparency over what has happened to the money. Some observers worry that the bulk of it may never be recovered. Either way, the billions borrowed to create the fund will eventually have to be repaid, which means that the ultimate victims will likely be European taxpayers. Already squeezed by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and with elections to the European Parliament due to be held between 6-9 June, voters may well decide to vent their anger at the ballot box.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Paul Anthony Taylor

Executive Director of the Dr. Rath Health Foundation and one of the coauthors of our explosive book, “The Nazi Roots of the ‘Brussels EU'”, Paul is also our expert on the Codex Alimentarius Commission and has had eye-witness experience, as an official observer delegate, at its meetings.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Paul's background was in the music industry, where he worked as a keyboard player and programmer with artists including Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, Bill Withers, the Verve, Texas, and Primal Scream.

He first became interested in natural health after falling ill with a chronic fatigue syndrome-related disorder in 1991 and subsequently making a full recovery through the use of natural health therapies. After meeting Dr. Rath and Dr. Niedzwiecki at an anti-Codex rally in Berlin in 2002, Paul was inspired to make a life-changing decision to leave the music industry to work for the Foundation and help defend the right of patients worldwide to have free access to natural health approaches.

You can find Paul on Twitter at @paulanthtaylor

Der Executive Director der Dr. Rath Health Foundation ist einer der Koautoren des explosiven Buchs „Die Nazi-Wurzeln der Brüsseler EU“. Paul ist auch unser Experte zum Thema „Codex Alimentarius-Kommission“ und hat Augenzeugenerfahrung als offizieller beobachtender Teilnehmer bei diesen Treffen.

Bevor er seine Arbeit bei der Stiftung antrat war Paul in der Musikindustrie aktiv. Er arbeitete als Keyboard-Spieler und Programmierer mit Künstlern wie Paul McCartney, Bryan Ferry, Bill Withers, the Verve, Texas und Primal Scream.

Sein Interesse an natürlicher Gesundheit wuchs, als er 1991 an Störungen erkrankte, die aus einem chronischen Erschöpfungssyndrom resultierten. Durch natürliche Gesundheitstherapien wurde er schließlich vollständig geheilt. Ein Treffen 2002 mit Dr. Rath und Dr. Niedzwiecki bei einer Anti-Codex-Demonstration in Berlin inspirierte ihn zu einer lebensverändernden Entscheidung und er verließ die Musikindustrie um für die Stiftung zu arbeiten und das Recht der Patienten zu verteidigen, weltweit freien Zugang zu natürlichen Gesundheitsverfahren zu haben.

Auf Twitter ist Paul unter @paulanthtaylor zu finden.

Latest posts by Paul Anthony Taylor (see all)

• Higher Intakes of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Associated With Lower Risk of Death - April 26, 2024
• Police Arrest 22 Suspects During Probe Into Major Fraud Linked to European Union COVID-19 Recovery Fund - April 19, 2024
• Plummeting Deaths From Heart Disease in United States Reflect Rise in Use of Dietary Supplements - April 12, 2024
• Growing Evidence of the Protective Effect of Vitamin D Against Breast Cancer - April 5, 2024
• Doctors Report Mysterious Worldwide Cancer ‘Epidemic’ - March 29, 2024