Subsidy fraud: Police charge daughter of agricultural agency official
Detectives are investigating the managing director of the company Verkad, which applied for EU funds for a facility in Lehnice. Expert assessments and aerial photographs confirm suspicions.
Subsidy fraud: Police charge daughter of agricultural agency official
Detectives have charged businesswoman Veronika Onderišinová, who headed the company Verkad. In 2015, this company applied for a state subsidy of 150,000 euros for a facility in the village of Lehnice. According to investigators, however, the applicant provided false information in the application. The case was detailed by the SME server.
The woman is the daughter of Daniela Onderišinová, who held a senior position in the Agricultural Paying Agency at the time the application was submitted. This institution subsequently approved the project's financing.
The investigation revealed that construction work on the facility began before the application for European funds was submitted. Aerial photographs from the Land Survey Office show that part of the building already existed in September 2014. This means the structural work stood approximately twelve months before the company applied for support.
Expert assessments commissioned by police showed that some items in the budget were overvalued. Other measurements did not correspond to reality. Several witnesses confirmed that construction had already begun in 2013 to 2014.
Investigators also discovered communication between Onderišinová and builder Roland Kós. They allegedly arranged together to ensure that the project formally met the conditions. Kós's company participated in a public tender despite, according to police, knowing that the job description did not correspond to reality. A forged price document was allegedly to be attached to the application. Police have also charged Kós.
The agency itself discovered the violations in 2024 and decided to return the funds. The Ministry of Agriculture, however, ordered a new inspection, which revealed only a minor discrepancy. The accused deny any wrongdoing.
Source: SME
Source: Google News SK — Crime (sk)