Brussels, 10/11/2004 (Agence Europe) - European Union money paid to the Palestinian Authority have not been embezzled to a bank account exclusively controlled by Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian president, the European Commission declared on Wednesday. The spokesperson for Commissioner for external relations, Chris Patten, was replying to a question on Wednesday on a report published last year by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and according to which USD 900 million was embezzled from the Palestinian Authority's budget to Mr Arafat's bank account between 1995 and 2000. "Does this sum really mean anything? No", replied Patten's spokesperson, who affirmed that the EU had not provided any direct aid to the Palestinian Authority during the period in question.