[size=75:33rv2mjd]Sofia echo 24 February 2010

European anti-fraud office Olaf praises reforms in Bulgaria

A senior official of European anti-fraud office Olaf has praised reforms in Bulgaria, saying that they are being carried out consistently, while Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov has pledged that every report from Olaf will be followed up.

This emerged during a visit to Sofia on February 24 2010 by Thierry Cretin, head of Olaf’s directorate of investigations and operations.

Borissov assured Cretin that Bulgaria now had the political will to follow through investigations into corruption and organised crime, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) said.

After talks with Borissov, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev, Cretin said that a number of measures were being implemented in a way that was consistent and promising, and many reforms were underway.

Cretin said that responsibility and efficiency were the key to success.

Sometimes matters appeared to move slowly but it was necessary to be thorough to ensure that there was enough evidence to present to court, he said.

Borissov said that if legislation was changed, evidence provided by Olaf could be used to secure convictions in Bulgarian courts.

Cretin was briefed on steps being taken by Krassimir Stefanov, head of the National Revenue Agency, to secure information on a disc in the possession of German authorities about bank accounts held in Switzerland by Bulgarian citizens.

Hopes were that this information could be used to find out more about monies gained through credit card fraud, cigarette smuggling, money laundering and other financial crimes.

Tsvetanov told journalists that evidence had been found of conflicts of interest involving people employed in the state administration and the head offices of some political parties.

These people used links to non-government organisations to access funds under operative programmes, Tsvetanov said, according to a report by Bulgarian news agency Focus.

He said that there was good co-ordination and co-operation between Olaf, the Anti-Fraud Co-ordination Structure (AFCOS) and the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Interior.

Most importantly, Bulgaria had regained Olaf’s trust as a reliable partner, Tsvetanov said.

Cretin underlined the importance of confiscating money acquired through fraud and other criminal activities.
Borissov said that Bulgaria would continue confiscating property obtained through crime.

Maybe just maybe a glimmer of hope

With out it being a train, light at the end of the tunnel.