The Coimbra Public Ministry accused the Castelo Branco association of fraudulently applying for financial support between 2013 and 2015.
In total, seven defendants are suspected of the crime of financial support fraud, two of whom are collective organizations, the regional prosecutor’s office of Coimbra said in a note published on its website.
The defendants are suspected of fraud in obtaining funding through the Proder – Rural Development Programme, co-financed by European funds.
According to the same note, the association, “considered the real beneficiary of this conduct, was at the same time the governing body of the Beira Internal Local Action Group itself, which analyzed and approved the application.”
According to him, the association “received and approved applications for payment of financing totaling 200 thousand euros.”
The Department of Investigation and Criminal Affairs (DIAP) of Coimbra considers that “artificial conditions of entitlement as a beneficiary have been created, bypassing the obstacles of another entity.”
The DIAP seeks loss of benefits obtained by the defendants as a result of the conduct of which they are alleged to have caused damage to the Institute of Agriculture and Fisheries Finance (IFAP).
The investigation was carried out by the directorate of the PJ Center.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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