EPPO takes over judicial investigation into the purchase of Covid-19 protective equipment in Spain
On 4 March 2024, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Madrid (Spain) initiated an investigation into possible fraud affecting public contracts awarded by the health authorities of the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands to a single company, for the purchase of medical equipment, including protective masks, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Given that Spain’s Central Court of Investigation No. 2 was investigating the same company for contracts awarded by other health authorities, and since one of those contracts was co-funded by the EU, the EPPO requested additional information to determine whether the case fell within its mandate. After receiving this information and examining it in detail, the EPPO has taken the decision to take over that judicial investigation, in order to inquire into all contracts awarded by the various public authorities to the same company within a short period of time. EPPO make known that this exceptional update comes after the extremely high
