EU:European Commission officials have been interrogated by police in several countries as part of an investigation into alleged corruption at the EU executive, writes Jamie Smythin Brussels.
Police in Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg were involved in surprise raids on EU offices, officials' homes, banks and the commission's headquarters in Brussels yesterday.
More than 150 police took part, impounding documents and questioning several people on orders from a Belgian investigating magistrate, according to the public prosecutor's office in Brussels.
"The investigation involves suspected bribery of European civil servants, forming a criminal organisation, violating professional secrecy, breaches of public tender laws and forgery," the Brussels prosecutors' office had earlier announced in a statement.
The raids were part of a three-year investigation into allegations that commission officials may have taken bribes from real estate and security companies in return for lucrative rental and security contracts for certain commission buildings.
This investigation is focusing on tendering procedures used by officials on services required by commission offices in Luxembourg, France and Italy.
A commission spokesman said the EU executive was co-operating fully with the investigation by the Belgian authorities through its independent anti-fraud agency, Olaf, but declined to disclose any details.
"Until the investigation is concluded and the facts are fully established, the presumption of innocence applies," said spokesman Johannes Laitenberger. He would not say whether any commission staff had been suspended.
The Luxembourg advocate general confirmed he had agreed to a request from Belgian prosecutors to search the commission's office of infrastructure and logistics in Luxembourg.
The office of a European Parliament assistant was also searched but parliament officials declined to comment on the reason for the assistant's apparent involvement.Coming just days after the EU's 50th birthday celebrations, the police raids are an embarrassment for the commission, which is the chief policy initiator in the EU.
It has been seeking to boost the image of the EU in recent years since the resignation of the entire Santer commission in 1999 after a corruption scandal involving Edith Cresson.
The former French prime minister and EU commissioner was investigated by Olaf for hiring her dentist as a key adviser.
Last year, the European Court of Justice ruled that she had breached her obligations and duties to her office as a commissioner.