An eight-strong auditor team tasked by the European Commission (EC) started inspections into Sapard spending, the head of State Fund Agriculture Dimitar Tadarukov told the parliamentary agriculture committee on May 23, Dnevnik daily reported.

The seven-day check into the books of the pre-accession agriculture programme will end on May 30. The check is part of the regular monitoring performed by the EU’s executive arm. However, its results will display whether State Fund Agriculture and Sapard executive agencies have conformed to Brussels’ recommendations for stricter administrative oversight.

Brussels froze Sapard funds on embezzlement tip-offs and requested that the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) perform an investigation.

For this reason, the team of experts comprises eight, instead of four, people and will carry out inspections into four of the agency’s regional offices and Sapard fund beneficiaries selected on an ad-hoc basis.