Wednesday

7th Jun 2023

OLAF hits back at critics over handling of Stern case

The EU anti-fraud office OLAF on Wednesday hit out at criticism that it treated a Brussels-based investigative journalist unfairly.

The police enquiry into the German journalist from Stern magazine, which came about due to information from OLAF, led to him being held for hours by police and his documents being confiscated.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • OLAF said that new evidence it obtained last January led it to pass on the information to the Belgian authorities (Photo: OLAF)

Answering questions by MEPs from the Budgetary Control Committee on the affair, Peter Baader from the Investigations and Operations department in OLAF, said that the EU anti-fraud office has been "extremely cautious, professional and impartial when dealing with this issue".

"All people dealing with the investigation have not done any harm or injustice to anyone", he added.

The investigation relates to suspicions that EU officials were paid to leak confidential OLAF documents which later appeared in articles by German journalist Hans-Martin Tillack, who has in recent years exposed various fraud and irregularities in EU institutions.

The articles concerned alleged irregularities in the European institutions that had been raised by an EU official and whistleblower, Paul van Buitenen.

The raid by the police was conducted after OLAF passed on information to the Belgian authorities.

Authorities in other EU states informed

OLAF revealed on Wednesday that information about this case was passed on to the authorities in other member states as well.

Yet, Mr Baader produced no evidence that payment was given in exchange of the information, and said that no legal action has yet been taken against civil servants who might have passed on the confidential documents to the journalist.

He added that any staff members who are identified will "have very little time to laugh".

New evidence

Mr Baader said that articles that appeared in Stern early 2002 indicated that the magazine had exclusive possession of confidential OLAF documents which were not passed on to the OLAF supervisory committee or to Budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer.

He also said that in January this year, OLAF got hold of new evidence "which changed the whole situation" and required it to submit the case file to the Belgian authorities.

OLAF has come under fire over its handling of this case and has been accused of trying to undermine press freedom and creating hostility between EU officials and journalists.

German judiciary investigates EU anti-fraud chief

The German judiciary has started an investigation into Franz-Hermann Brüner, the director of EU anti-fraud office OLAF, for alleged defamation and libel, according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Interview

Part of EU middle class 'being squeezed out', MEP warns

EUobserver interviewed Spanish MEP Jordi Cañas to discuss the situation of Europe's middle class, the dangerous political reaction if certain groups feel neglected, and the role that member states and the EU can play at the policy level.

MEPs to urge block on Hungary taking EU presidency in 2024

"This will be the first time a member state that is under the Article 7 procedure will take over the rotating presidency of the council," French Green MEP Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, the key lawmaker on Hungary, warned.

Letter

Right of Reply from the Hungarian government

Authors Samira Rafaela MEP and Tom Theuns present as facts the extreme views of a politically-motivated campaign in the European Parliament. By doing so, they undermine the very foundations of the European Union.

Latest News

  1. Final push for EU-Mercosur deal, amid deforestation fears
  2. Ministers given 50/50 chance of reaching EU asylum deal
  3. EU Commission wants better focus on mental health care
  4. Right of Reply from the Hungarian government
  5. True scale of horror in today's Belarus hard to comprehend
  6. Israeli settlers encircling Jerusalem, EU envoys warn
  7. No clear 'Qatargate effect' — but only half voters aware of EU election
  8. Part of EU middle class 'being squeezed out', MEP warns

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us