The agency, which goes by its French acronym, Olaf, revealed it was carrying out an assessment, which could lead to a formal investigation. While not a full-blown inquiry, it is a rare and significant step for Olaf to consider investigating a member of the European parliament. The Guardian has contacted a spokesman for Farage and his group in the European parliament. His team have dismissed previous investigations by the European parliament as “politically motivated assaults” and “a vindictive campaign” targeting Eurosceptic MEPs. Olaf investigates fraud against the EU budget, from evasion of customs duties to corrupt claims of EU funds.

Source: The Guardian May 25, 2019 08:26 UTC