The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating an unnamed solar company after it breached the terms of a public tender for the co-financing of small solar power plants. The office says searches were carried out by Slovenian police this week, leading to the seizure of documents, electronic data and devices.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in the Slovenian capital Ljubljana is leading an investigation into attempted fraud with EU public money for solar power plants.
According to a statement published by EPPO, the investigation involves irregularities in a public tender for the co-financing of small solar power plants financed by the European Cohesion Fund.
The agency explains that during checks on a payment request worth €215,265.37 (€247,728.46), it was found that an unnamed applicant company allegedly placed binding orders for equipment before submitting the application, in violation of the tender conditions. “Because additional documents raised doubts about their authenticity, no money was paid in this case,” the statement continued.
The same company submitted five applications between September 2022 and January 2023 under the same tender for installations on different supermarket roofs. The company received payments totaling €955,275.90 based on four of these applications.
“According to the investigation, the company wrongly stated that the solar panels would be supplied by a third party, while in reality the equipment was supplied by the applicant itself,” the EPPO said. “This constitutes a further breach of procurement rules, which required equipment to be supplied and installed by independent third parties under market conditions.”
The EPPO confirms that searches were carried out this week by the Slovenian police in the town of Celje, leading to the seizure of documents, electronic data and devices. The agency’s statement concludes that all persons involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a Slovenian court.
In January 2025, EPPO investigated a fraudulent scheme involving two Slovenian companies accused of misrepresenting a solar energy project to obtain EU funds. A final result of the investigation has yet to be made public.
Slovenia installed 146.5 MW of solar power last year, bringing its cumulative solar capacity to 1.57 GW.
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