Italian newspaper says Finnish tipoff led to EU bribery investigation
European Commission employee among those arrested
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The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera wrote on Wednesday that the investigation into allegations of bribery that are shaking the European Union originated from a tipoff from a Finnish company.
The paper wrote that a Finnish entrepreneur had been asked to pay a significant bribe in order to get a construction contract from the EU for a project in India.
The Belgian public prosecutor’s office did not comment on the newspaper’s story on Wednesday.
"I cannot confirm the information - it might be true or it might not. I have no detailed information on the entire case", said Jos Colpin, a spokesman for the Belgian public prosecutor’s office in a telephone interview.
Colpin said that a report by the European Anti-Fraud Office three years ago led to the police investigation, and that the office has information on the early phases.
On Wednesday, the Anti-Fraud Office did not comment on the possible role of the Finnish company in the investigation.
The Belgian prosecutors suspect that bribes were taken in connection with EU construction contracts for more than a decade, costing European taxpayers billions of euros.
The suspicions of bribery are linked with bids for tender for EU buildings in countries outside the European Union.
So far, authorities have arrested three Italians living in Brussels - a 46-year-old employee of the European Commission, the 60-year-old aide of an Italian MEP, and a 39-year-old businessman working in the real estate business.
Police in Belgium, Italy, France, and Luxembourg conducted simultaneous raids in 30 locations on Tuesday, confiscating large numbers of documents and computers in numerous EU units, banks, corporations, and private homes.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 29.3.2007 - TODAY |
 Italian newspaper says Finnish tipoff led to EU bribery investigation
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