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April 28, 2006 / 7:17 AM

Bulgaria investigates embezzled EU funds

SOFIA, Bulgaria, April 28 (UPI) -- A precondition for Bulgaria's European Union ascension is a crackdown on the rampant corruption endemic in the country.

The Sofia news agency reported on April 26 that Bulgaria's Interior Ministry, Finance Ministry and the Chief Prosecutor's Office are investigating the misuse of nearly $318,000 in the EU's Special Accession Program for Agriculture and Rural Development, or SAPARD, funds. The offices will issue a report on the irregularities by the end of the month.

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Interior Minister Rumen Petkov informed EU ambassadors that the authorities are probing the possible embezzlement of SAPARD program funds.

The Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior's Web site states: "An organized crime group, comprising four patricians, has been dismantled. It was involved in fraud related to absorption of SAPARD program funds.

"The group used documents with untrue content for costs incurred under different projects that were not actually invested. Inflicted damages amounted to $286,000. The materials have been sent to (the) Prosecutor's Office."

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