Latvian court seizes luxury car, property and €230k in EPPO-linked EU fraud probe

22 April 2026 , 22:19

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Latvian court seizes luxury car, property and €230k in EPPO-linked EU fraud probe

The Riga City Court (Latvia) has ordered the confiscation of a luxury vehicle and a real estate property located in the center of the Latvian capital, as well as €230,000 in bank accounts, as part of an ongoing investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Riga into suspected procurement fraud at Daugavpils University.

The investigation concerns allegations of fraud involving a group of individuals, including a high-level public official, linked to European Social Fund financing awarded to the university, specifically the rigging of specifications in public procurement procedures and the inflation of costs, causing damage of €306,957.24 to the EU budget and €54,168.92 to the Latvian state budget.

The Court agreed with the EPPO and the Economic Crime Combating Department that the main suspect’s explanations regarding the legality of the funds used to purchase the assets were not credible. Although the pre-trial investigation is still ongoing, the Court determined that there are sufficient grounds to treat the assets as criminally derived. On this basis, it ordered their confiscation under a non-conviction-based procedure.

All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Latvian courts of law.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (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.

James Smith

Editor-in-Chief