Bulgaria's rail infrastructure firm scraps tenders worth over €350m after audit
Transport Minister Georgi Peev reported suspected irregularities at the National Railway Infrastructure Company. 17 cases have been referred to the European Public Prosecutor's Office.
Symbolic image · Photo: DemieK07 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Bulgaria's National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) has terminated procurement procedures worth more than €350 million and contracts worth over €20 million. Transport Minister Georgi Peev told NOVA TV on Sunday. The reason is suspected irregularities found in an audit.
17 cases have been referred to the European Public Prosecutor's Office. One involves suspected misuse of EU funds, including transfers to shell companies followed by cash withdrawals. Procedures were halted where funding was not secured, where criteria appeared tailored to a single contractor, or where bids exceeded the indicative value.
At Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ), irregularities concerned contract amendments and the purchase of rolling stock; these findings were sent to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). The audits are complete and the results have been reported to national and European authorities, Peev said.