OLAF director general proudly asserts independence

The reappointed director-general of European Union (EU) anti-fraud office OLAF has promised to stick with the occasionally abrasive approach to his job that has led to past criticism, saying: “The only way to show my thanks for this trust is to continue my work.” Franz-Hermann Brüner said: “An anti-fraud organisation does not require or seek popularity. It needs to earn respect through the quality of its work, through its results, and by demonstrating integrity and an ability to make the right decisions even under pressure.” The German continued: “We have earned this respect during the first six years of OLAF’s existence not merely within the European Institutions but also in the member states and beyond the EU.” Countering claims that his reappointment left him indebted to EU anti-fraud Commissioner Siim Kallas, he said: “I will fight for stability and further improvement of our efficiency in full independence, and that means: independence in all directions.” UK Conservative MEP Chris Heaton-Harris claimed the decision was “a stitch-up orchestrated by leading German politicians and officials in Brussels.”