Andreasen slams EC 'mafia'

Marta Andreasen, the former chief accountant of the European Commission, has said she is up against a 'mafia' in the Commission whose aim it is to frighten off whistleblowers.

Andreasen lost her appeal against her dismissal by the EC last week, but said she plans to appeal that judgment too.

Andreasen, a former Accountancy Age Personality of the Year, was suspended by the Commission in 2002 and later sacked after exposing failures and weaknesses in the EU’s accounting procedures.

She had sued for re-instatement but the Tribunal last week ruled against her.

Speaking from her home in Barcelona, Ms Andreasen said the Court had taken two-and-a-half years to consider her case 'but they haven’t done any real investigation, they’ve merely confirmed everything the Commission said.'

Because so many issues had not been addressed, 'I believe I will be successful on appeal,' she said, though it was frustrating that this could take another two years.

A reprise of Andreasen's allegations against the Commission will be awkward for the EC, whose court of auditors reports tomorrow. Another damning verdict on the spending of EU money is anticipated.

Andreasen, who is now treasurer of the UK Independence Party and whose case is backed by a number of MEPs, said she was up against a 'mafia' in the Commission whose aim was to frighten off any other whistle-blowers.

In response to a wave of criticism of its accounting procedures, the Commission had changed the presentation and done some window-dressing in recent years 'but the only thing that bothers them is the opinion of the Court of Auditors,' she said.

Further reading:

Re ad our profile of Andreasen

Read our interview with Andreasen's successor Brian Gray

Brussels sweats on court's accounts verdict