CENTRAL ANTI-CORRUPTION BUREAU EU Subsidy Fraud and Money Laundering - News

On 14 October 2026, officers of the CBA Regional Office in Białystok detained five men and a woman – entrepreneurs suspected of involvement in a scheme to fraudulently obtain funds from the European Union. The case concerns financial fraud, the use of fictitious invoices and money laundering. Investigative activities were carried out in the Mazowieckie, Śląskie and Opolskie Voivodeships.

Misleading the Institution Granting Funding

Officers of the CBA Regional Office in Białystok are conducting an investigation into fraud involving property of significant value belonging to the State Treasury and the European Regional Development Fund, represented by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development.

According to the evidence gathered, between 2013 and 2014, one of the detainees allegedly managed and controlled certain individuals and entities in connection with funding granted for an innovative project. As part of the alleged criminal scheme, the institution granting the funding was misled about the company's financial situation and its actual intention to implement the project. The funding agreement concerned the implementation of an IT system designed to integrate and automate the exchange of information between cooperating enterprises.

These activities were allegedly aimed at obtaining funds from the European Union budget under the Innovative Economy Operational Programme, despite the failure to meet the eligibility requirements for receiving financial support.

 Money Laundering Scheme 

The investigation conducted by officers of the CBA Regional Office in Białystok also concerns suspected money laundering. According to the findings, the funds obtained were transferred to bank accounts belonging to affiliated companies and subsequently moved multiple times between various business entities.

The financial transfers were carried out, among other methods, under the pretext of settling fictitious liabilities and making payments to entities associated with individuals involved in the investigation. These activities were allegedly intended to conceal the criminal origin of the funds, make it difficult to establish their location and prevent their detection, seizure or confiscation.

As a result of the alleged criminal scheme, the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development suffered losses exceeding PLN 2 million.

Charges and Preventive Measures

The detainees were brought before the Podlaskie Regional Branch of the Department for Organised Crime and Corruption of the National Public Prosecutor's Office in Białystok.

They were charged with offences including fraud involving property of significant value, fraudulent acquisition of funding, certification of false information in documents, and laundering money obtained through fraud committed against the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development.

The prosecutor imposed preventive measures on the suspects, including financial bail ranging from PLN 30,000 to PLN 50,000, police supervision combined with a prohibition on contacting other co-suspects, and a ban on leaving the country accompanied by the seizure of their passports.

The investigation is ongoing and further developments are possible.

CBA Press Team