Experts of the European Anti-Fraud Office OLAF arrived to Sofia Monday on a mission to inspect payments to Bulgarian firms made under EU's SAPARD Program.

Several more similar missions of OLAF experts will take place in Bulgaria over the coming months, and will inspect contracts under the other two pre-accession programs PHARE and ISPA as well.

Monday's mission is taking place two days after the visit of OLAF's Director Franz-Hermann BrГјner to Sofia, and his meetings with key Bulgarian officials such as the PM Stanishev, the Deputy PM Plugchieva, the Chief Prosecutor Velchev, the Director of the National Security Agency Sertov, and the Finance Minister Oresharski.

The next meeting between Bulgaria's Deputy PM Plugchieva, who is in charge of monitoring EU funds absorption, and BrГјner will be in late November.

A total of more than EUR 825 M of EU's three pre-accession programs destined for Bulgaria, have been blocked over alleged violations.

An OLAF Report, which leaked to the Bulgarian press in July, revealed abuse of EUR 32 M of SAPARD money by Bulgarian firms and officials.

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