Slovak Police Expand Fraud Case to 28 Suspects in €8.5 Million Scheme

Slovak police have expanded charges in a major financial fraud investigation worth more than €8.5 million, bringing the total number of accused to 16 individuals and 12 companies following a new operation in northern Slovakia. The latest action, known as Operation Programmer, was carried out on Wednesday and builds on an ongoing investigation led by the Central Investigation Unit operating under the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). The EPPO is an independent EU body established to investigate and prosecute crimes affecting the European Union's financial interests, including fraud involving EU funds. The expansion of charges signals that the investigation is widening significantly in both scope and the number of suspects involved. Cases handled under the EPPO's jurisdiction typically involve misuse of EU subsidies or other financial instruments funded by the European Union, meaning Slovak taxpayers and EU funds may have been among those harmed by the alleged scheme.