Reporter following trail of corruption in EU arrested

Telegraph UK ^ | 20/03/2004 | Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

[ellery]

Police arrested a leading investigative journalist yesterday on the orders of the European Union, seizing his computers, address books and archive of files in a move that stunned Euro-MPs.

Hans-Martin Tillack, the Brussels correspondent for Germany's Stern magazine, said he was held for 10 hours without access to a lawyer by the Belgian police after his office and home were raided by six officers.

"They asked me to tell them who my sources were. I replied that was something I would never do. Now they have all my sensitive files, so I suppose they'll find out anyway," he said last night.

"The police said I was lucky I wasn't in Burma or central Africa, where journalists get the real treatment," he added.

Mr Tillack said the raid was triggered by a complaint from the EU's anti-fraud office, OLAF. He was accused of paying money to obtain a leaked OLAF dossier two years ago, which he denies.

The European Ombudsman has already come to his defence, issuing a harsh criticism of OLAF's campaign to silence him.

Mr Tillack, who describes himself as a "pro-European federalist", has been OLAF's most vocal critic, accusing it of covering up abuses within the EU system.

As the author of a recent book on EU corruption, he has the greatest archive of investigative files of any journalist working in Brussels.

OLAF was created to replace the old fraud office UCLAF, which was accused of covering up abuses by the disgraced Santer Commission. Many UCLAF staff were transferred to OLAF.

[ellery]

Fourth reich alert.

[DeuceTraveler]

I'm copying this and sending it to my friends here in Europe. This is ridiculous!

[zarf]

The ghost of Wagner is conducting his next Opera.

[proxy_user]

"Mr Tillack, who describes himself as a "pro-European federalist", has been OLAF's most vocal critic, accusing it of covering up abuses within the EU system.

I'll bet he rethinks his position real quick.

[ScaniaBoy]

No, most Jews didn't try to leave Germany before it was all too late.

Most Europeans don't want to understand what EU is growing into - at least not until it is way too late...

Too harsh? Let's wait and see.

ScaniaBoy

[Darksheare]

OLAF was created to replace the old fraud office UCLAF, which was accused of covering up abuses by the disgraced Santer Commission.

So OLAF is merely a reinvented UCLAF, and they pre-empted a major story about the EU and it's corruption.

[ScaniaBoy]

From Euobserver 19 March 2004: Stern office in Brussels raided by Belgian police

The Brussels editor of German magazine Stern was released from police custody on Friday. His release came after ten hours of questioning, said Stern's editor Norbert Höfler.

Mr Tillack was taken into police custody on Friday morning (19 March) after the police raided his office. The investigation was to do with an allegation of bribery in connection with a case the German journalist wrote about in 2002.

His articles covered alleged irregularities that had been raised by an EU official, Paul van Buitenen, and the related inquiries carried out by the Commission’s anti-fraud office OLAF – and were based on confidential documents.

"Stern requests the Belgian authorities to immediately deliver Hans-Martin Tillack’s materials", said Mr Höfler to this news-site.

According to Mr Höfler, Mr Tillack’s home was searched by the police, who confiscated material on paper, computers and cell-phones.

Mr Tillack was interrogated without being in touch with his lawyer. Under Belgian law, a lawyer is not allowed to be present during questioning on the first day of police custody, said Mr Tillack’s lawyer.

Well-known in Brussels Mr Tillack is well-known in Brussels media circles. He was the first journalist to report the investigations into the irregularities of the EU statistical arm, Eurostat, which led to the removal of the responsible officials.

He has lately run stories on MEPs allegedly falsifying signatures qualifying for daily allowances and MEPs employing their wives and family members.

Renate Schröder, Director of the International Federation of Journalists in Brussels, said that Belgian law does not secure journalists' right to protect their sources.

In 1996, a number of Belgian media had their offices and private homes raided by police.

This case was brought to the Court of Human Rights, who recommended that Belgium introduce proper legislation and secure the protection of sources.

"The right of journalists to protect their sources is a cornerstone of press freedom", Ms Schröder told the EUobserver.

The European Commission said that they were not aware of the incident but they would look into it.

Written by Lisbeth Kirk, Brigitte Alfter

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

And over in the US we have this story:

Fears Impacted U.S. Reporting on Iraq ( lessons learned )

[Tench_Coxe]

bookmark

[ScaniaBoy]

NB:

Belgian law:

does not is allow a lawyer to be present during questioning on the first day of police custody,

does not secure journalists' right to protect their sources,

does allow an indicted person to spend more than six years in jail before being brought to trial....

And Belgian law is passed into European law via the back-door of the European Constitution.

Ouch!

[auboy]

Bump.

[cripplecreek]

How can this be? According to the left europe is the land of enlightenment and true freedom.

[Pikamax]

bttt

[Lancey Howard]

Casolaro had nearly completed his ``Octopus'' manuscript in the summer of 1991. He told friends he had to go to West Virginia to meet with a source who could supply a final piece to the story. But then his body was found in the bathtub of a motel room in Martinsburg, W. Va., a Shenandoah Valley town a couple hours' drive from Washington. There was no note, no sign of struggle, and Casolaro had multiple slash marks on his arms.

This guy is very lucky he didn't end up like Danny Casolaro.

[Darksheare]

(from the article)"Competitive pressures and a fear of appearing unpatriotic discouraged journalists from doing more critical reporting"
Meaning they didn't lie their butts off.
Nothing like seeing the clash of the extreme opposite sides of the Press and reporters.

Just also read a thread about how certain members of the press in Poland decided to act as if they were part of the US press Corps and basically outright fabricated an article that Poland was pulling their troops out of the Coalition.
Meanwhile, proud Poles everywhere saw that and instantly got angry.
Seems their press owes an apology to many.

But, it's weird in a way as well.
The EU starts getting nervous about it's activities and corruption coming to light so they slap down the reporter doing the digging.
Probably a not so subtle message to the press over there that they are merely supposed to parrot what the EU masters say?

*sigh*

[expatpat]

Tell us more. What was he investigating?

[expatpat]

Out rageous! I just hope he had copies of his files tucked away safely.

[swampfox98]

When you make the big boys in any country angry, you'll live to regret it.

[SteelTrap]

Link please!