Brussels, 03/09/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has decided to send audit experts to Bucharest this week to examine the allegations recently made in the Romanian press regarding possible irregularities in the use of funds from the Community programme, "Leonardo" (vocational training). According to the allegations, companies belonging to the husband and son of the Romanian European Integration Minister, Hildegard Puwak, had benefited from substantial funding from the programme (there is talk of EUR 150 million) at a time when Ms Puwak was already a member of the Romanian government. The minister denies these allegations, affirming that the payment were made when she was still a member of the opposition, before taking on her responsibilities within the government.
The Commission delegation in Bucharest has published a press release stressing that the investigation and the sending of audit experts comes within the context of the "zero tolerance" policy toward any sort of fraud or misappropriation in the use of Community funds. Should it prove true that the Community funds were disbursed in an irregular manner, then the funds would have to be paid back to the Community budget, the press release states. OLAF has also been informed of this affair.
In the meantime, Ms Puwak has cancelled her visit to Brussels scheduled for this week (6 September), during which she was above all to meet Commissioners Günter Verheugen (enlargement) and Michaele Schreyer (budget) to discuss the forthcoming accession talks on the financial and budgetary chapters.