Bent Cops EU Style

EU corruption - what's new? Except that this time it's the cops:

EU's Police College suspected of fraud

The European Police College - an agency of the European Union located in Bramshill, UK - has come under suspicion of fraud. The college organises training for senior police officials from across the EU. According to Swedish Radio, EU funds were used to buy furniture, mobile phones and to fund trips for the College's staff. In December last year, the European Court of Auditors said in a report that it had identified cases where EU funds "were used to finance the private expenditure of some of the college's staff". At least £21,000 of the funds are thought to have been used to pay for these items, Swedish Radio reports. The budget for the European Police College was 8.7 billion euros in 2008.

MEPs are now threatening to refuse to approve the 2007 accounts of the College - which would be an important political statement, but not have any legal consequences. Christofer Fjellner, MEP for the Swedish Moderates, is quoted saying "I have to say that the EU's rules are often very complicated and hard to follow. But in this particular case I think it's a matter of systemic flaws, and that they simply haven't followed the basic rules."

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