FIGHTING FRAUD AND CORRUPTION IN EU
THE European Anti-Fraud Office Olaf was set up by the EU in 1999 to fight fraud, corruption and other illegal activities in European institutions.
It employs around 420 people, including police, customs and legal experts from around the EU.
Because Olaf is a part of the European Commission, the Vice-President for Budget and Human Resources is responsible for it.
However, it controls its own budget and administration, effectively making it independently operated.
The director-general of Olaf is former Italian anti-mafia prosecutor, Giovanni Kessler.
He has been in the role since February 2011, and can only stay for a maximum sevenyear term.
The tasks Olaf is responsible for are split into three: to fight fraud in the EU budget; to investigate corruption by staff of EU institutions; and to develop new laws and policies to fight fraud.
In order to perform these tasks and ensure that money provided by the EU is used appropriately, Olaf has been given substantial power.
It has the right to access documents, accounts and other information held by EU bodies in whatever format, immediately and unannounced.
This power allows it to act immediately on a Garda internal audit report dealing with EU money that ended up in a bank account in Cabra. The body has the power to question witnesses and potential suspects and conduct searches of premises during the course of its investigations.
As well as this, Olaf can do spot checks on other businesses or organisations that hold relevant information to the investigation of any EU staff.
However, despite these powers, it cannot legally oblige national law enforcement authorities to follow up on their work; it can only make recommendations.