Inspection of the economic police revealed a corruption and SAPARD fund drainage scheme in Veliko Turnovo totaling over 800 000 euro.

Through falsified documents a businessman in Veliko Turnovo received SAPARD funding for the construction of a fruit-processing plant, police said. The estimated cost of the plant stated in the funding application was 4.5 million leva, Dnevnik newspaper reported.

According to police information the businessman constructed an alcohol-production plant with some of the funds received. Such projects are not included in the list of initiatives financed by the SAPARD programme.

The inspection revealed that civil servants in Sofia might also be involved in the corruption scheme. All economic police evidence was sent to the Supreme Prosecution of Cassation, Dnevnik reported.

The same businessman was allegedly involved in VAT drainage, the police said.