Giovanni Kessler, the head of Olaf, the EU’s anti-fraud office remains hopeful that his immunity will be reinstated despite a recent court decision.
The European Commission lifted his protection in March on allegations that he authorised illegal wiretaps in a tobacco lobbying scandal some four years ago.
The affair saw John Dalli, a Maltese EU commissioner for health, booted out of office.
But if Belgian prosecutors convict Kessler, the head of the Brussels-based anti-fraud bureau, he could be jailed for two years and fined, in a major embarrassment for the EU.
Kessler has taken the EU commission to the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice (ECJ) to get back his protection.
He says that if he goes on trial, it would imperil Olaf’s independence and investigations.
He also says that he should stay immune, pending the final ECJ judgment, which could take months or up to a year, for the same reasons.
Nikolaj Nielsen