I didn't think I would ever say this, but well done Sir Robert Atkins. He has written to the shower masquerading as the President of the European Parliament, denouncing a decision by the governing Bureau of the Parliament to delay a discussion into the Tillack affair.
For those new to this it is the story of Hans-Martin Tillack, a personal friend, a former correspondent of the German magazine, Stern. After breaking a number of good stories, and building up an extensive database of sources in the European Institutions he found himself arrested by Belgian police. The reason, he had written stories about the general incompetence of the EU’s anti-fraud unit OLAF. OLAF’s press officer Alessandro Buttice concocted some cock and bull story about Tillack bribing officials. He was arrested and all his files and hard drives removed. He has yet to get then back.
OLAF has admitted that they had no evidence for the story.
Tillack brought a case to the European Ombudsman, who supported him.
Back to current events. Atkins was to be rapporteur (chaperone) to a report on the case in the European Parliament’s Petitions Committee. The report was to be based on a hearing next Wednesday - the day before Parliament breaks up until September. The hearing would have seen the Ombudsman, Nikiforos Diamandouros pitted against Franz-Herman Bruner Director General of OLAF.
According to EUOBS
“The petitions committee's civil servants had already drafted a preliminary resolution slating OLAF for misleading Mr Diamandouros and for publishing "tendencious (sic) and misleading information on its website" concerning Mr Tillack”
However the Bureau decided to postpone. The reason?
According to Julian Priestley, Secretary General of the Parliament, and former Oxford Union ballot rigger, the meeting was dropped due to agenda difficulties on the day of the London bombing.
Tony Robinson – the shuffling Irishman that attempts to translate drivel into press releases for socialist group leader Martin Schulz claimed that "the postponement was linked with own-initiative reports, which have to be approved before any hearings can take place" he also claimed "it would be absolutely untrue to suggest that there is any kind of cover-up in this".
However I am informed that the members of the Bureau had previously pointed out that to hold the hearing before September would queer the pitch for Brunner, as his contract is up for renewal over the summer.
Brunner was the candidate of the German Socialist party for the job in the first place.
The lying press officer that had a journalist arrested because the hack was doing his job. Mr Buttice – he has just been promoted to deputy chief Press Spokesman for the European Commission.
It’s how you get on in Brussels.
Oh Atkins goes on to blow it by stating that he is not interested in the story, just that OLAF made misleading comments on its website. Back to form sadly, Robert.
The @billmckibben Integrity Test
5 hours ago
1 comment:
Just had a chat with Hans Martin, he is here in the Parliament for a farcical hearing into OLAF. To be fair he is quite sanguine about things. He knows we know and they know that nothing will be done. On eveteran MEP was wild eyed with frustration. "What is the point of them. They all know it is rubbish, the Court of Auditors - they do nothing, Olaf it does nothing´, The Budgetary Contriol Committee it does nothing".
The wonder is that he was suprised.
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