OLAF Director-General in talks with the World Bank and UN to improve cooperation

Source: European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) i, published on Friday, May 27 2011.

Giovanni Kessler, the Director-General of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), met with Executive Directors of the World Bank and UN representatives at the occasion of the 12th Conference of International Investigators in Washington DC which ended today. These meetings resulted in proposals for enhanced cooperation between OLAF and these institutions’ investigative services.

“The increasingly international character of fraud and corruption with criminal networks crossing all borders shows that closer cooperation among international investigative bodies is the way forward. To fight more effectively these criminal acts, OLAF is enhancing cooperation in terms of its operational activities with the investigative services of the World Bank and the UN. We are considering joint investigations on cases of common interest,” said Director-General Giovanni Kessler.

The 12th Conference of International Investigators hosted by the World Bank in Washington attracted participants from 45 investigative services of international organisations. It was opened by Mr Leonard McCarthy, World Bank Integrity Vice-President. Mr Lanny Breuer, Assistant Attorney-General of the United States, subsequently gave a speech in memory of OLAF’s previous Director-General Franz-Hermann Brüner who passed away in 2010. He praised Mr Brüner’s exceptional personal commitment in fighting corruption and in facilitating cooperation between international organisations.

In addition to meetings with World Bank board members, Mr Kessler met with senior officials at the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI. Earlier this week Mr Kessler met with the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Ms Asha Rose-Migiro, the Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), Ms Carman Lapointe, the Under-Secretary-General for Management, Ms Angela Kane, and the Director of the Office of Audit and Investigations (OAI) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr Egbert Kaltenbach. The UNDP is both a recipient and one of the main spending agents of EU funds earmarked for the UN.

OLAF

OLAF’s (European Anti-Fraud Office) mission is fighting fraud, corruption and any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the European Union, including misconduct within the European Institutions. OLAF is part of the European Commission, but remains independent in its operational and investigative functions.

For further details:

Pavel BORKOVEC

Spokesman

European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)

Phone: +32 2 296 72 00

E-mail: olaf-press@ec.europa.eu

http://ec.europa.eu/anti_fraud/ index_en.html