The European Union's anti-fraud agency, OLAF, will launch an investigation into the use of funds sourced in Europe at the Garda's training college in Templemore, it has been suggested.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been charged with misusing European Parliament funds relating to the payment of parliamentary aides.

A deal that puts the big tobacco companies in charge of preventing cigarette smuggling was like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse, the European Parliament and the World Health Organisation have warned.

Robbie Kelleher brings a double perspective to bear on Dublin and the GAA.

Get a taste of some of the interesting and quirky happenings in Europe from our Europe correspondent, Ann Cahill.

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) is currently investigating allegations of fraud in Ireland in relation to European Research projects.

A LONG-HIDDEN report into how several members of the European Parliament managed to earn themselves an extra €1 million during their term is expected to be published thanks to the efforts of an Irish barrister.

Corruption and fraud can be reported anonymously through an internet system that keeps the whistleblower’s identity secret.

GARDAÍ and Customs are hopeful of bringing prosecutions against the organised crime gang that masterminded the importation of 120 million cigarettes in Co Louth this week.

THE international sting operation which netted 120 million illegal cigarettes this week as they were being smuggled onto Irish shores was the biggest seizure of its kind in the history of the European Union.

Detectives were given more time today to question three men over Europe’s largest ever seizure of smuggled cigarettes.

A ship’s captain was tonight among nine men being quizzed by detectives after customs officials seized Europe’s largest ever haul of smuggled cigarettes.

Nine men were arrested today as part of a customs swoop in Co Louth believed to have netted the largest ever number of illicit cigarettes seized in the UK and Ireland.

CIGARETTE smuggling is becoming a very serious problem in Ireland because a combination of the highest price in the European Union and the economic downturn is making it very attractive to smugglers.

BULGARIA will not receive €600 million in EU funds due to fraud and corruption, the first time the union’s commission has taken such action.

SCIENTISTS stealing research, millions of smuggled cigarettes, a crumbling bridge built with substandard materials and Chinese garlic claiming to be of African origin.

ALL MEPs have until the end of May to make a full disclosure of the allowances they claimed to pay assistants after suspicions of fraud.

PEOPLE buying cheap cigarettes and spirits from street sellers or door-to-door salesmen are most likely to be supporting organised criminal groups, customs officers warned yesterday.

The EU’s anti-fraud body, OLAF, is to investigate claims MEPs have been claiming expenses to which they are not entitled.

VAT fraud is costing taxpayers €100 billion a year according to OLAF, the EU’s independent fraud investigations body.

FRAUD involving more than €850 million of EU funds is being investigated by the European Union anti-fraud office, OLAF.

An internal audit into allegations of fraud at the European Union’s statistics office reported today that more than 100 contracts had been mishandled, but provided no details about who was involved or where the money went.

The European Commission sought to quash allegations today that senior officials failed to act promptly against widening fraud allegations at the EU’s statistics agency.