European Public Prosecutor’s Office investigating case of Novi Sad train station

“Due to the very high public interest, the EPPO confirms that it has an ongoing investigation into possible misuse of EU funds involving the Novi Sad railway station,” it said.

The EPPO, led by Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi, added that, in order to avoid endangering the outcome of the investigation, no further details can be made public.

“The EPPO has to decide on the exercise of its competence when a fraud is committed in relation to EU funds allocated to non-EU countries or to non-participating Member States, it said. Considering that the damage to the Union’s financial interests is a constituent part of the fraud offence, when that damage takes place in Belgium or Luxembourg (because that’s where the funds are disbursed from, where EU institutions are located), there is jurisdiction of those Member States and therefore competence for the EPPO, regardless of where the conduct has taken place, i.e. on a third country territory,” said EPPO spokesperson Tine Hollevoet.