Brussels, 27/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - On the orders of the public prosecutor's department in Brussels, some 30 searches were carried out in Belgium on Tuesday 27 March as part of an investigation into allegations of corruption by officials in Community institutions. These operations were carried out in the headquarters of the European Commission (in Brussels), in the office of an assistant to an MEP in the European Parliament, within banking organisations and trading companies, and in homes, according to a press release issued by the Brussels prosecutor's office. As part of the same investigation, other searches were carried out simultaneously in Italy, France and Luxembourg.
The investigation, which began three years ago, relates to allegations of corruption among European officials, criminal organisation, conspiracy, breach of professional confidentiality, forgery and use of forgery, and legal infringements on public procurement, says the press release. Infringement of procedures for the award of public contracts, the Brussels prosecutor's office says, refers to leasing and purchase contracts for buildings for European Commission delegations abroad, and to security contracts for these buildings. Numerous documents were seized and taken away by investigators and several people questioned. The examining magistrate in Brussels could, in the evening of 27 March, bring “three or four” charges, according to sources. “The alleged fraud involves European officials and agents of companies which were awarded contracts,” the prosecutor's office in Brussels says.
This huge operation was headed by the Central Anti-Corruption Office (OCRC) of the Belgian Federal Police, in cooperation with the European anti-fraud office (OLAF), the Italian police and the national financial investigations section of the French Criminal Investigation Department.
European Commission spokesman Johannes Laitenberger confirmed that an “investigation was ongoing” and pointed out that he could make no comment because of the continuing investigation by the Belgian authorities, and the presumption of innocence. He merely confirmed that OLAF was working in close cooperation with the national authorities which were leading the investigation, so that light may be shed on the suspicions that exist. (lc)