The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, has begun an inquiry into allegations that the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) provided him with incorrect information in the context of an earlier inquiry he carried out. These allegations were made in a complaint submitted to the Ombudsman by the former Brussels correspondent of Stern, a German weekly newspaper. According to the complainant, the information provided by OLAF was liable "to mislead the European Ombudsman and to manipulate the inquiry."

The Ombudsman has called on OLAF to respond to the complainant's allegations by 30 November 2004.

Background

The earlier inquiry carried out by the Ombudsman concerned allegations of bribery, made by OLAF, that were likely to be understood as directed against a particular journalist, namely the Brussels correspondent of Stern. The Ombudsman closed the case with a critical remark, saying that OLAF had acted disproportionately, since no sufficient factual basis for the allegations was available for public scrutiny.

The decision in the Ombudsman's earlier inquiry can be found on his website at:

 

For further information, please call Mr. Gerhard Grill, Principal Legal Advisor, tel. +33 3 88 17 24 23.