After 13 years at various instances the case against businessman Mario Nikolov for siphoning off millions in EU funding under the SAPARD programme has been closed due to expiry of the statute of limitations.

The case was closed by the Appellate Specialized Criminal Court. The investigation was among the first in Bulgaria connected with embezzlement of European funding in which Mario Nikolov and several other defendants were charged. According to the prosecutor’s office they received European subsidies on the basis of forged documents, passing off old meat processing machines for new.

Thus the SAPARD saga activated by an OLAF report, is now over without convictions.

Reporting by Silvia Velikova, Horizont channel.