The European Public Prosecutor's Office conducted ten searches across Bulgarian cities, including Burgas, Petrich, Rila, and Sofia, on Wednesday. The searches are part of an investigation into alleged fraud related to EU subsidies for the restoration of a 12th-century church in the Rila municipality.

The investigation focuses on a public procurement project from 2017, which involved the restoration of frescoes and architectural features of the church, a significant cultural and historical landmark in Bulgaria. The project was funded through the EU’s Cross-Border Cooperation Programme.

According to the investigation, the company that won the tender lacked the necessary expertise to carry out the restoration work and subcontracted the project to another company. However, the second subcontractor also lacked the required technical qualifications and subsequently hired a third company, which had the needed skills to complete the restoration.

The total cost of the restoration was set at 198,000 euros, but the first contractor received the entire amount, only paying 70,000 euros to the subcontractors. The company retained 128,000 euros without performing any of the restoration work.

Documents and evidence were seized during the searches. The investigation is being carried out with the support of the General Directorate of National Police (GDNP). The prosecutor’s office clarified that all individuals involved in the case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in Bulgarian courts.

In 2022, the company that withheld the 128,000 euros stated that it had no outstanding obligations to its suppliers and was not responsible for the financial matters between its suppliers and subcontractors.