Foreign nationals from Ukraine unlawfully received benefits totalling nearly 3 million crowns
South Bohemian Foreigners Police uncovered 11 cases of fraudulent receipt of humanitarian benefits. The total damage caused to the state amounts to nearly 3,000,000 crowns.
Humanitarian benefits fraud in the South Bohemian Region: eleven cases, damage exceeding 2.9 million crowns
Members of the Foreigners Police of the Regional Police Headquarters of the South Bohemian Region uncovered a total of eleven cases of unlawful receipt of humanitarian benefits, according to policie.gov.cz. Applicants from Ukraine with recognised temporary protection provided false information in their applications regarding their actual place of residence in the Czech Republic.
In all cases, the foreign nationals confirmed in their applications that they were actually staying at specific addresses in the South Bohemian Region. Subsequent investigations, however, demonstrated that these individuals were provably located outside the Czech Republic for a considerable part of the stated period. Actual residence in the country represents a statutory requirement for granting the benefit, which is intended to cover housing and living costs.
The cases involve persons from the Českobudějovice, Strakonice and other localities in the region. The length of unlawful benefit receipt ranged from several months to more than two years. The damage in individual cases ranged from tens of thousands of crowns to more than 700,000 crowns. The total damage caused to the state was calculated by police at nearly 3,000,000 crowns.
In most cases, officers submitted proposals to state prosecutors for charges to be brought for the crime of fraud. Some of the foreign nationals admitted to the offence and returned the financial means.
During the investigation, the South Bohemian Foreigners Police cooperated with the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic, specifically with the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy, as well as with the Labour Office.
Source: Google News CZ — Crime (cs)