Caltanissetta: fraud in the agricultural sector, assets worth 45 thousand euros confiscated.

I Carabinieri of the Agri-food Protection Department of Messina they confiscated goods worth 45 thousand euros in the availability of aagricultural entrepreneur from Nisseno, in execution of a sentence issued by the Court of Caltanissetta.

The measure, which arose from a sentence of conviction, represents the epilogue of an investigation aimed at combating community fraud in the agricultural sector, coordinated by Public Prosecutor's Office of Caltanissetta and conducted by Carabinieri of the Agri-food Protection Department of Messina.

The fraud: undue receipt of AGEA funds

The investigations revealed that the entrepreneur perceived unduly public contributions intended for the agricultural sector and provided by AGEA (Agency for Agricultural Payments) between the 2015 and 2019, falsely attesting to the titled availability of ISMEA-owned surfaces (Institute of Services for the Agricultural Market).

In particular, the woman had declared that she was the owner of lands obtained through advantageous contracts di “sale with retention of title” stipulated with ISMEA. However, such contracts they had not been perfected because of failure to pay the balance.

Convicted for receiving funds without having the right to it, the woman was forced to return the undue sums, thanks to careful investigative activity which allowed us to reconstruct every Document passage and illicit perceptions.

Fighting fraud in the agricultural sector

This measure represents aincisive contrast action to fraud on European funds, carried out by Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court of Caltanissetta with the coordination of the investigations. In addition to the conviction and the confiscation of assets, the case testifies to the constant work of the Carabinieri in the fight against fraud against the financial statements of the State and the European Union.