Police are investigating a Gozitan company which claims to provide consultancy and assistance on obtaining EU funds.
Nationalist MEP Simon Busuttil filed a police report after a number of those who used Refca’s services alerted his office to suspicious letters of rejection they received, supposedly from the EuropeanCommission.
In his report, Dr Busuttil points out that the Brussels’ address, from which the letters were meant to have been sent, does not belong to the European Commission and may indeed be fake.
The letters, seen by The Sunday Times, also make “suspicious” use of the Commission’s letterhead, which seems to have been downloaded from the internet. They even make reference to EU funds that, according to Dr Busuttil, do not exist.
The letters are not signedand are addressed to no one inparticular.
Dr Busuttil wrote to the police, copied in with the letters sent by Refca, to establish whether a case of fraud “or another irregularity” exists.
The police have not yet replied to questions sent by The Sunday Times about whether they are probing the case, and a spokesman for Dr Busuttil said that although two reminders were issued, his office had not been contacted by police.
However, the man who runs the company, Christian Abela, confirmed that the matter was being investigated by the police.
When contacted, he did not give any details about the case but said he was cooperating with police.
“On this particular case thereis a police investigation. Weprovided all the necessaryinformation to police and I don’t think it would be wise for me to comment on this case for the time being. If I have more information, I will get in touch with you myself,” he said.
Dr Busuttil addressed his complaint to Police Commissioner John Rizzo but also copied in Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino.
According to its website, www.refca.eu, ‘Regional European funds consultancy agency’ helps organisations benefit fromsome 450 different EU funding programmes.
It states: “Since our agency is continuously abrupt (sic) with and informed about EU fundingprojects we can help your organisation by providing Funding Programmes alerts and deadlines.
“Our agency is composed by a rich blend of professional competence of qualified managing team so that we can provide information service and assistance to submit a proposal or application for funding and find sources to finance your project. We are able to provide you European Union funding Guide.”
Clients can become ‘members’ of the agency for six months at a fee of €55 or €110 for annual membership.
The company also claims to help clients complete and send EU funding application forms at an extra charge of three per cent of the total amount granted from the EU.