The European Union’s suspension of its chief accountant Martha Andreasen after she blew the whistle on its financial incompetence is one of the most shameful chapters in its history.

Conservative MEPs, in the face of fierce opposition from Labour MEPs, are launching a campaign to ensure Ms Andreasen is reinstated and her allegations are investigated.

The chief ringmaster in Ms Andreasen’s persecution is the former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, the Commission Vice-President charged with cleaning up Brussels’ act after the budget scandals that brought down President Jacques Santer’s regime.

Essentially Ms Andreasen was hired nine months ago to oversee the European Commission’s colossal £60bn budget - millions of it made up of North West taxpayers money.  Her job was to make sure that the European commission - which spends almost every penny the EU raises from European taxpayers – had its books in order.

Ms Andreasen was immediately appalled by what she found. The systems in use didn’t meet basic accounting standards and the computer and software collating the figures was easily subject to interference by officials.

She discovered no-one, as the  EU’s own auditors had already complained for years, could vouch for any of the accounts being accurate.

But when she alerted her bosses to these shortcomings she was told, under threat of dismissal, it was her job to sign off the accounts and keep quiet. When she wrote in despair to Commission President, Romano Prodi she received no reply. The log recording of her letter now denies that it was ever sent.

But Ms Andreasen to her great credit is not a quitter. When she refused to keep quiet she was moved to another department. And now she is threatened with the sack.

Conservative MEPs are pursuing Mr Kinnock for explanations and fighting the Labour MEPs backing his and the Commission decision to dismiss an honest civil servant.

The European Union is not above the law and I, and my Conservative colleagues, are determined to see every penny of North West taxpayers money is properly accounted for.

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