The head of the European Prosecutor's Office, Laura Codruţa Kovesi, warns the massive fraud with VAT and the involvement of the Italian and Chinese mafia in Romania
The chief prosecutor of the European Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), Laura Codruţa Kovesi, criticized the lack of action of the Romanian authorities in combating fraud with VAT and explained that Romania detailed how both the Italian and Chinese Mafia operates, including Romania.
“Romania has the biggest deficit when it comes to VAT's collection. It is something I said several times. Over 90% of it can only be explained by fraud. Unfortunately, the level of detection and reporting of these offenses, at least to the European Prosecutor's Kovesi, in an interview for freedom.
She gave an example from last year's report, according to which very few investigations started from notifications from ANAF.
“We had 12 files last year, which had as a fraud object in terms of VAT. Of almost 400 files we investigated in Romania, only 12 files were with VAT. I think there are three or four files that came as a result of some reports that we received from ANAF. We investigate them many times, we have, for example, a file in Spain or France or Italy, we investigate it and we see that there are connections with Romania, with Greece, Poland, Sweden.
In his opinion, in Romania there is a problem with the poor rate of VAT fraud.
“I would like the Attorney General or DNA chief to contradict me and say that thousands of files are working with VAT fraud, but then I would have another problem, because the files do not reach the European Prosecutor's Office,” said EPPO chief prosecutor.
In the case of fraud with VAT, in our country there is an involvement of the Italian mafia, however, stressing that Romania is a fertile territory for the Chinese mafia.
“In Romania, on what VAT fraud means, I saw an involvement of the Italian mafia, which has moved some of their activities there, I saw these online markets that are organized in Romania. So I could say that Romania is not protected. VAT fraud, I could say that the organized groups and the mafia are no longer national, they are complex, you have all the nationalities there, and from the European Union space, but also from outside, ”Kovesi said.
She also stated that, related to the use of artificial intelligence, Romania is not excluded.
“We see a lot, for example, the trading of cryptocurrencies. This is what we see in Romania, because the investment in cryptocurrencies seems a resource that is trying to wash money, but also to keep the criminal product. Suspects suspicious to us.
The chief prosecutor of the European Prosecutor's Office reported that the Italian mafia was also behind fraud with European funds, including in the PNRR, not necessarily in VAT fraud, because criminal groups commit any crime that brings them income.
“And then, they set their main headquarters in various Member States, where they try to remain undetected, and from there to implement the entire criminal mechanism, so that they create damages in other Member States. If, for example, in Romania, the fight with VAT will be considered a priority, and there will be a danger, And they will commit damages in the other Member States. Legislation ”, explained Laura Codruţa Kovesi.
