A giant step has just been announced in the Caritas file. According to information communicated by the Luxembourg Public Prosecutor’s Office, “the judicial investigation opened following the fraudulent misappropriations to the detriment of the Caritas Foundation has entered a new phase.”
A leap in the investigation, made possible “with the concerted action, carried out in three European States by the Bulgarian, French and British police services, supported by eight Luxembourg investigators from the FAME section (Training, Support and Methodology Ecofin) and two investigative members of the FAST cell (Fugitive Active Search Team, fugitive search service), all from the judicial police service of the Grand Ducal police.
Around a hundred messages exchanged between services
The action, carried out under the direction and control of the sole Luxembourg investigating judge, “led to the arrest of eight people wanted and reported by European arrest warrants requested by the State Prosecutor in Luxembourg due to indications of guilt weighing on them in the context of laundering the embezzled sums of money. Searches of the homes of these people were carried out at the same time.
Six of these people were arrested in Bulgaria during actions carried out this Thursday, January 23. Searches were carried out and the season of material evidence is informed by the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, which communicated photos and video of the operation and announces that an extradition procedure for the incriminated persons is underway.
-Arrests filmed in Bulgaria as part of the investigation into the Caritas affair. © Bulgarian Ministry of Interior
At this stage, around a hundred messages have been exchanged via the SIENA (Secure-Information-Exchange-Network-Application) platform, around thirty European investigation decisions and international letters rogatory have been issued to the authorities. foreign countries of thirteen States, 27 search and seizure orders were issued and 54 orders for the seizure of funds blocked in Luxembourg and abroad were made.
“A multitude of meetings were organized at all levels between competent authorities and investigators,” said the Prosecutor’s Office.
Waiting for the surrender of those arrested
At present, the Luxembourg authorities remain awaiting the handover of those arrested by the French and Bulgarian authorities “and the fate of the seizures of assets carried out abroad”. At this time, it is not possible to determine the extent of the amounts that could be recovered. As a reminder, the Caritas affair broke out in July 2024 when the association revealed that it had noted the misappropriation of more than 60 million euros.
Luxembourg justice also thanks “all the authorities and all foreign counterparts, in particular from the three countries cited, for their efforts and their assistance with a view to optimal preparation of the recent duties, and for their collaboration which contributed to the success of this concerted action.
“The investigations, still carried out in close collaboration with the Luxembourg financial intelligence unit (FIU), are only just beginning and are continuing their course.” The Prosecutor’s Office also recalls that those arrested benefit from the presumption of innocence.
