The European Public Prosecutor’s Office has brought its second-ever charges against a public official in Bulgaria for allegedly receiving bribes and accepting illicit payments. The EPPO started operations in June and secured its first conviction in November. “Nobody was expecting the explosion of cases” says Anna Bradshaw. “There has been a steady stream of reports of EPPO-led investigations, and the fact that two cases have already led to prosecutions to date is very encouraging.” Anna adds that the EPPO’s focus on the recipient of a bribe is a “welcome complement” to the longstanding efforts by national prosecution agencies to prosecute private companies for paying bribes.

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