Van Buitenen defiant over Kinnock row

Date: 07/11/02

By David Cronin

PAUL van Buitenen is refusing to bow to demands by Neil Kinnock that he retract a statement suggesting that the Irish official overseeing a disciplinary case against whistleblower Marta Andreasen is unsuitable for the job.

Dutchman van Buitenen, the former EU auditor whose revelations of fraud and cronyism triggered the downfall of the European Commission in 1999, recently wrote to Kinnock, the institution's vice-president, questioning the suitability of Tom Cranfield to hear Andreasen.

Van Buitenen's claim was based on the fact that the EU's publication office, which Cranfield heads, is being probed by the Union's anti-fraud watchdog OLAF.

But, in response, Kinnock accused van Buitenen of implying that Cranfield 'somehow has some connection with the matters which are under investigation by OLAF'.

'Only you will know your motives for doing that,' he added. 'I must tell you, however, that your inference - accidental or not - is completely unjustified. I have checked with OLAF and they confirm that the hearing officer is not in any way the subject of any inquiry being conducted by that office.

'I hope that you will withdraw the inference relating to the hearing officer, which has unjust and unjustifiable implications for him as an individual.'In a reply sent to Kinnock on Monday (4 November), van Buitenen wrote: 'In my email, I referred to the OLAF investigations in relation to the EU publications office and I suggested to you that in such a context the director-general of such a service is not the most appropriate person to be appointed by you as hearing officer in Mrs Andreasen's case. I do not withdraw my suggestion.'

Van Buitenen left the Commission in September to work as a financial controller in Breda, the Netherlands, after citing frustration with the pace of reforms.

In his original letter, dated 26 October, van Buitenen reminded Kinnock that the publications office 'featured prominently' in a dossier he had submitted to OLAF last year. After an initial examination of the allegations, the anti-fraud office decided not to pursue an inquiry, although it has launched four probes into other claims raised in the file.

Since then, two members of staff in the publications office are believed to have provided additional information to OLAF. It is understood this related to suspected irregularities in the awarding of contracts. Insiders say the suspicions raised by the two officials are potentially more serious than those in van Buitenen's documents. OLAF is investigating them.

Meanwhile, Andreasen has revealed she may meet Cranfield in the near future to discuss the case against her. The Argentinian-born official, suspended from her post as the Commission's accounting officer earlier this year after alleging that the institution's bookkeeping practices leave it 'vulnerable to fraud', had previously refused to attend meetings called by the Irishman. But her lawyerhas now contacted Cranfield about possible talks. Andreasen said she would only be willing to attend if she can bring a legal advisor and other witnesses and is guaranteed a fair hearing.

Paul van Buitenen is refusing to bow to demands by Neil Kinnock that he retract a statement suggesting that the Irish official overseeing a disciplinary case against whistleblower Marta Andreasen is unsuitable for the job.