The European Union is investigating the possible misuse of EU funds earmarked for the renovation of a Spanish railway line where a train crash killed 69 people, prosecutors said Friday.
The October accident on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line was one of the worst railway disasters in Europe this century, overshadowing Spain’s upcoming general election in November.
A similar investigation into the same stretch of track had already been opened in March in the wake of another accident that claimed 46 lives in the southern province of Andalusia, European prosecutors said.
“Today, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Madrid (Spain) is conducting investigative measures at the Administrator of Railway Infrastructure (ADIF), the State Railway Safety Agency (AESF) and the Court of Auditors in Spain,” a statement from the EPPO said.
“This comes after the opening of an investigation into possible fraud affecting EU funds allocated to the renovation and upgrading of safety, signalling and communications systems on the Madrid – Seville high-speed railway line,” the EPPO added.
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“This exceptional confirmation comes following high public interest and no further details will be made public at this stage.”
The Spanish police were supporting the investigation, the statement said.
The accident happened when a train operated by the state-owned Renfe ploughed into the back of a stationary train belonging to the private Spanish company Iryo outside the village of Urda, around 130 kilometres (80 miles) south of Madrid.
