Andreasen plans to sue over Watson ‘slur’

Date: 31/10/02

By Martin Banks

WHISTLEBLOWER Marta Andreasen says she plans to sue Graham Watson, the head of the European Parliament's Liberal Democrat group, after he said she 'lacked credibility'.

Watson made his comments after the assembly's group leaders, the Conference of Presidents, barred the budgetary control committee from giving her a hearing. The decision was taken after a majority vote. The Scot said Andreasen lacked credibility because she had failed to substantiate in writing her claims that the European Commission's accounting system is vulnerable to fraud.

Andreasen, who was suspended from her post as accounting officer in August, was incensed, saying he had called into question her track record as an 'honest accountant'.

'I am taking his remarks very seriously. There is absolutely no justification for them and, if he's saying I lack credibility, then let him prove it,' she declared.

Andreasen, however, has now put her allegations in writing to the Conference of Presidents.

In a covering note, she says she is 'very surprised' at their decision to prevent her from appearing before the committee, adding: 'Once you have heard my detailed description of the facts, you will have no doubts about my credibility.'

The letter lists a number of faults with the Commission's accounting system, without going into detail. She writes that the Commission lacks a verifiable accounting system and that its computer system suffers from a 'fundamental lack of coherence and security'.

'The balance sheet is built on reports from spreadsheets there is a lack of compliance with basic accounting principles the Commission doesn't have official accounting books and basic internal controls are not respected.'

These 'structural irregularities' severely compromise the financial discharge for 2001, she claims.

'Having worked in the system, and with an accounting background, I am in a better position to explain where the problems lie. But the insistence in under-estimating the importance of the issues I raise, and my request for urgent changes, is leading the reform announced by Neil Kinnock and Michaele Schreyer [budget commissioner] in the wrong direction, in fact, rendering it a complete failure. I still hope that I will be invited to personally substantiate my allegations before the Parliament, without delay,' she adds.

Meanwhile, Paul van Buitenen, the former Commission official whose revelations of malpractice helped trigger the collapse of the Santer administration, has questioned the suitability of the 'hearing officer' handling Andreasen's case, Tom Cranfield.

The Dutchman believes that Cranfield, the Irish director-general of the EU's publications office, should not be involved as his department is the subject of serious allegations by him which are being investigated by OLAF, the Union's anti-fraud office. OLAF would not confirm this.

In a letter to Kinnock, van Buitenen also states the commissioner's treatment of Andreasen is 'highly questionable'.

Kinnock's spokesman, Eric Mamer, said van Buitenen's allegations were 'groundless' and stressed that Cranfield himself was not being investigated. The hearing officer hopes to submit a report on the Andreasen case by 15 November.

She is accused of breaching three staff regulations: these cover making statements which reflect badly on the institution (Article 12); that she failed to observe the hierarchy (Article 21) and was absent from work without permission (Article 60). On the basis of Cranfield's report, Kinnock will recommend whether the case should be considered by a specially appointed disciplinary board.

Andreasen, who is refusing to cooperate in the process unless its deliberations take place in public, has announced she is to stand for election to one of the smaller Commission staff unions, Action and Defence, which campaigns for transparency in EU institutions.

Whistleblower Marta Andreasen says she plans to sue Graham Watson, the head of the European Parliament's Liberal Democrat group, after he said she 'lacked credibility'.