EU fraud of 650 thousand euros in Ragusano, two indictments – VIDEO

Last Updated: May 24, 2024

An agricultural company in Scordia, in the province of Catania, is alleged to have defrauded the EU of approximately €650,000. The fraudulent scheme was uncovered by finance investigators from the provincial command of Ragusa, following the Moneyfarm investigation into land located in the municipalities of Vittoria and Acate, in the province of Ragusa. The investigations, coordinated by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Palermo, revealed that the company had deceived the Agency for Agricultural Payments (Agea) between 2017 and 2023 by submitting single payment applications claiming ownership of various lands that actually belonged to third parties. Subsequent checks at the Revenue Agency and interviews with legitimate landowners exposed the falsity of the lease contracts submitted to Agea, through which the company unlawfully obtained over €650,000 in Feaga (European Agricultural Guarantee Fund) funding. Upon discovery of the fraud, additional funds amounting to over €50,000 were also frozen. Based on the evidence collected, at the request of the European Prosecutor for Sicily and Calabria, the judge for preliminary investigations at the Caltagirone Court issued a preventive seizure order for the unlawfully obtained funds and indicted the company’s two partners on charges of aggravated fraud. The financial police in Vittoria executed the measures, seizing the bank accounts, properties, and vehicles belonging to the two individuals.