Romania: EPPO conducts searches in investigation into suspected corruption and procurement fraud involving medical equipment

(Luxembourg, 27 April 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) is leading an investigation into suspected corruption and procurement fraud related to the acquisition of medical equipment, with searches carried out in Bucharest, Brașov and Mureș last week.

The investigation concerns a public procurement procedure for medical equipment worth approximately €1.5 million, conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. Based on the evidence, the tender specifications were allegedly tailored to favour a specific company, which ultimately won the contract.

It is suspected that representatives of the company offered bribes to public officials of the Brașov County Emergency Hospital, in exchange for ensuring that the procurement procedure was arranged in their favour. In addition, civil servants involved in the procurement process are believed to have requested and received approximately 5% of the contract value.

During the searches, evidence, including documents and electronic devices, was gathered.

The investigation is being carried out with the support of the EPPO Support Structure in Romania (Structura de sprijin a procurorilor europeni delegați în România), the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police – Directorate for Investigating Economic Crime (Inspectoratul General al Poliției Române – Direcția de Investigare a Criminalității Economice), as well as the County Police Inspectorates of Brașov and Mureș.

All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Romanian 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.