Czech police detained 22 people and carried out 46 searches linked to suspected corruption at the country’s biggest hospital involving 1.2 billion CZK (160 million euros) in European Union funds, authorities said on Monday.

Charges were brought against 16 people for corruption, subsidy fraud, damaging the EU’s financial interests and laundering, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and Czech police said in separate statements.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is overseeing the corruption case tied to the reconstruction of Motol’s “Blue Pavilion.”

Authorities said 16 unnamed suspects manipulated public procurement processes by demanding and receiving illicit payments for contracts at Prague’s Motol University Hospital, including the hospital’s director, Miloslav Ludvik.

The hospital could not be immediately reached for comment.

The Czech Health Ministry said it had no further details on the investigation, but was ready to cooperate or take appropriate action.

More than 350 police officers carried out searches at the hospital, companies and a law firm. Czech police said the investigation into the group of people started in 2023.

The main suspects face sentences of up to 12 years if found guilty, police said.

The Czech Republic ranks higher than peers in central Europe in Transparency International’s rankings, although the group has said insufficent transparency left public procurements exposed to influence.

In a separate case, the EPPO, opens new tab led an investigation into public contracts to provide medical supplies to hospitals a year ago, which led to 10 people being arrested.

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