EU Education Funding Scandal Continues
(Luxembourg, 5 December 2025 ) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Zagreb (Croatia) has filed an indictment against 29 Croatian citizens, including a former deputy minister at the Ministry of Culture and Media, a former dean at the Faculty of Geodesy and an ex-professor, as well as against one company. The charges include misuse of funds related to public procurement procedures, abuse of office and authority, corruption, forgery of official documents and money laundering.
In the period between May 2019 and November 2023, the former dean and the ex-professor at the Faculty of Geodesy organised 27 public procurement procedures related to four projects involving the faculty, with a total value of €5 988 300 euros – 85% of which co-financed by the EU. They are accused of manipulating the procurement procedures to have certain companies selected. In exchange, a portion of the funding was returned to them. Other defendants are accused of submitting invalid or overpriced bids to ensure that the bids of the favoured companies were selected.
The two are also accused of using project funds to buy two vehicles for the professor’s personal use and for another employee of the Faculty of Geodesy. In addition, they allegedly purchased a motorboat with project funds, which was not used for project activities but was instead leased out for nautical tourism. Furthermore, they are accused of submitting false travel expenses and daily allowances for themselves and nine members of project research teams and expert associates, on at least 266 separate occasions, for travel that did not take place.
Fraudulent and flawed assessment of earthquake damage
The former deputy minister for Culture and Media is accused of criminal practices when he was appointed as team leader of a survey to identify buildings damaged by two earthquakes in March and December 2020, which involved three-dimensional documentation of the destruction. He allegedly arranged with the then dean to entrust these documentation tasks to the Faculty, in return for material benefits, despite knowing it lacked the capacity to do so, and that they would hire a company to perform them, controlled by the dean and a professor. Based on the evidence, the former deputy minister certified reports without proper checks, including reports that falsely claimed scans had been completed, or that listed buildings previously paid for. As a result, the Ministry was billed at inflated prices.
Based on three reports approved in this manner, the Ministry of Culture and Media paid over €2.5 million to the Faculty of Geodesy. Approximately €800 000 was initially charged to the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF), but because an appropriate public procurement procedure had not been carried out, this amount was ultimately charged to Croatia’s State Budget instead. The former deputy minister also approved a fourth report amounting to €3.2 million, but the payment was not executed, after civil servants realized the report listed buildings previously submitted. It is understood that the overpayment for the work cost around €900 000 to Croatia’s State Budget. In addition, the tasks had to be redone by other companies in relation to the four objects, leading to additional costs of €10 982.80 to the EU Solidarity Fund and to Croatia’s State Budget.
The defendants’ conduct caused a total damage of €2.8 million (€1.2 million to the EU budget, €1.4 million to the State Budget, and €200 000 to the Faculty of Geodesy). At the same time, all of the defendants obtained undue pecuniary gains amounting to €670 000, of which the former dean received €140 000 and the ex-professor €307 000.
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Croatian courts of law.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting, and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.