Today’s News has a review revealed how the authority of the ESF council, which manages and controls the EU-subsidies in Sweden, themselves have violated the rules of the EU contribution.
During the two and a half years paid to the ESF council out over 5 million in advance payments to a consulting firm who ran an EU-project. Used the money authority then themselves in order to purchase various services on behalf of the authority.
DN admits the ESF-council director-general Lars Lööw several major weaknesses in the agency’s handling of the EU-money. Deficiencies and irregularities that had led to serious consequences had they been committed by any other beneficiary than the authority itself.
” I think it is particularly unfortunate when it is one of our own projects. We shall place greater demands on ourselves than this, and I can not understand that it is not passed until all of the employees, ” says Lars Lööw.
It is beyond my understanding, it should not have happened,
at the same time, he says that several of the communication efforts, which was was good and it was not wrong that they were financed with money from the social Fund.
DN:s review has already before it is published has led to the authority notified themselves to the Fca, it has also appointed an internal investigation and informed the auditors of the Swedish national financial management authority and considering a complaint to the serious fraud office. The director-general also says that the authority now, with great probability, can be forced to take the full cost of the services purchased, because it violated the EU’s rules in the cases examined.
as is evident in the DN’s review is that the agency regularly paid large advance payments in violation of the rules, and often before the previous advance has been used.
“Yes, it is beyond my understanding, it should not have happened,” says Lars Lööw.
the ESF council’s head office in Gävle. Photo: Julia Mord
do you Know more? – tell the reporters behind the review
He says that he also cannot explain why the ESF-council has used consultancy Kontigo, and the EU project ”External project” to finance the authority’s communication activities. The director-general said that, in several cases being used to circumvent the procurement.
– In the extension there will be a way to round the competition, ” says Lars Lööw.
– It is an arrangement that is not acceptable.
During the three years that I have been on the authority as we have submitted a case to the serious fraud office, so it is not commonplace
” It is obvious that it was the way that the people involved chose to go forward, it does not help that it was okay.
and contacts with the responsible auditors preparing the authority is now the basis for a possible notification to the financial crime.
– During the three years that I have been on the authority as we have submitted a case to the serious fraud office, so it is not commonplace.
” this feels really bad.
Lars Lööw interviewed by Today’s News reporters. Photo: Julia Mord
the major responsibility of a former member of the senior management team who left the ESF-council in February.
” I have a responsibility that the structures are in place and that everyone knows to the regulations, and has responsibility for systems and follow up on it. It is clear that I have a responsibility to my managers comply with the regulations, but I can not follow in detail all of my bosses in everything they do.
The previous toppchefen have both internally and to the DN stated that there was a consensus around the approach and that the orders should have been understood by the agency’s annual work plan. She also points out that it is the director-general signed the contract with Kontigo, which was the basis for the concept.
– There are several levels of responsibility over me and several control bodies, and there is a application drive, which puts up the structures. Then, it is unreasonable for a single person to bear all this for the whole of the authority’s behalf. I reject it categorically. My view is that the authority bears the responsibility for it, ” says the former head.
he’s the one who signed the agreement but says that he trusted his employees.
“I assumed that it took place within the framework of the regulations,” says Lars Lööw.
