From POLITICO · · 1m
EU prosecutors asked to investigate advisory body
The EU's antifraud watchdog has referred corruption allegations at the European Economic and Social Committee to prosecutors with stronger enforcement powers.
In brief
The EU's antifraud watchdog has referred corruption allegations at the European Economic and Social Committee to prosecutors with stronger enforcement powers. OLAF has passed corruption allegations at the EESC to the EPPO, which has stronger powers to investigate crimes against EU financial interests. Originally…
Antifraud watchdog refers EESC case
OLAF, the EU's antifraud office, has passed corruption allegations at the European Economic and Social Committee to the European Public Prosecutor's Office.
EPPO has stronger enforcement powers
The EPPO investigates crimes against EU financial interests and can search private homes or seize evidence, giving it significantly stronger powers than OLAF's administrative investigations.
OLAF also probing whistleblower retaliation
OLAF is investigating whether EESC executives tried to identify a staff whistleblower who raised funding concerns. Anonymous letters say IT workers were asked by senior managers to identify staffers who had accessed the OLAF website.
The essence
OLAF has passed corruption allegations at the EESC to the EPPO, which has stronger powers to investigate crimes against EU financial interests.
