Ashley Mote recounts the mysterious story of Estonian gold bullion, Siim Kallas’s prosecution for theft, and the alleged activities of the KGB and Estonian secret services.

Time and time again, the name of the EU Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering is mentioned when the issue of tranparency is raised.

And every time, he appears as an obstacle to getting anything done. Yesterday yet another article appeared in the German press in which Hans-Gert emerged as an enemy of transparency.

Van Buitenen criticised the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering (CDU). “I’m not at all persuaded that things are improving” [referring to Parliament’s plan to change its system for accounting for expenses in 2009]. There have been several meetings with the President, but the fraudulent use of expenses won’t change. Van Buitenen told this newspaper that the head of Parliament is strongly resisting the introduction of transparent accounting.

But let’s not pretend Poettering is the only culprit here, even if he appears as the person who is least willing to change. There are plenty of MEPs hiding behind the President. What’s more, the other institutions such as OLAF and anti-fraud commissioner Siim Kallas are doing very little to encourage change.