EU prosecutors launch possible €110m fraud probe into Spain’s railways, after second lethal crash

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) on Friday (6 November) launched an investigation into the Spanish state railway for possible fraud of EU funds for maintenance of the line that saw a second deadly collision this year on 28 October. The EU’s independent prosecutor in Madrid launched the probe into the use of European funds following the crash on the Madrid-Seville high-speed rail line that killed 69 people in Toledo last week, while an earlier accident in January left a further 46 dead on the same route. The EPPO’s headquarters in Luxembourg announced they launched investigative measures into Spain’s Administrator of Railway Infrastructure (ADIF), its State Railway Safety Agency (AESF) and the Court of Auditors in Spain. The European Commission stayed silent on the procedures when asked at a press briefing on Friday, since EPPO procedures are launched independently of EU institutions. Agents of the Civil Guard visited both offices on Friday morning, to request documents that may show any evidence of embezzlement of European funds in the maintenance works of the high-speed rail line. To read this story, log in or subscribeEnjoy access to all articles and 25 years of archives, comment and gift articles. Become a subscriber for as low as €1,75 per week.Read without limitsAlready a subscriber? Login