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OLAF ’08 Investigations In Bulgaria, Romania Brought Out More Than EUR80M In Fraud

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) had 23 ongoing investigations in Bulgaria and five in Romania at the end of 2008, in cases involving fraud and mismanagement of SAPARD funds, which brought total damages worth more than EUR80 million, according to OLAF’s Annual Activity Report for 2008.
OLAF ’08 Investigations In Bulgaria, Romania Brought Out More Than EUR80M In Fraud
09 iul. 2009, 18:25, English

According to the report, more than half of OLAF’s investigations, namely 55%, targeted six European Union member states, among which, Romania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Germany and Great Britain.

OLAF head, Franz-Hermann Brüner, said the situation in Romania is still a bit difficult, stressing, however, OLAF keeps close contact with the Romanian Anti-Fraud Department (DLAF) in its fight against fraud and corruption.

OLAF also pointed out that the number of cases involving fraud and irregularities, tracked throughout its investigations, does not necessarily translate into widespread corruption in the respective countries, stressing it is rather the result of a close cooperation with its partners in EU member states in the fight against fraud.

This year’s Report puts a particular focus on the judicial follow-up of OLAF’s investigations. Since its creation in 1999, OLAF has opened more than 3000 cases. Over 300 individuals have been sentenced by criminal courts as a result of OLAF’s investigations to a combined total of nearly 875 years of imprisonment, of which 208 were suspended.

OLAF issues annually a report on its independent operational activities during the previous year.

The European Commission, in turn, will publish next week its “Report on the protection of the financial interests of the communities – fight against fraud.”