The European Anti-Fraud Office (Olaf) wanted to see sentences being handed out for European Union funds malfeasances, even if they were "not guilty" verdicts, and the judicial system had to prove that its work yielded results, Olaf general director Franz-Hermann Brüner told Justice Minister Miglena Tacheva duringhis visit to Sofia on August 21.

Brüner is in Bulgaria on a two-day visit at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister for EU funds Meglena Plougchieva, mediapool.bg said.

Brüner and Tacheva discussed the preparation of a list of companies suspected in EU funds malfeasances. Brüner promised expert help in drafting the list, which is to have a preventive role and to stress that everyone is innocent until proven.

The Olaf chief also insisted that Bulgaria sped up trials on all the tip-offs the office made. There would be a special register of the trials, providing information on the cases’ development.

After meeting Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev earlier in the day, Brüner said that he was delighted with the meeting. The two tried to find a way to resolve the problems, which was a key precondition for further co-operation.

According to the Cabinet’s media statement, Stanishev and Brüner agreed that corruption was not only a Bulgarian problem, but a common problem in countries where dynamic changes take place.

Brüner gave his positive opinion on the Bulgarian Cabinet’s fight against corruption and said that he expected more dynamic improvement in the work of the Bulgarian judicial system, as well as more tangible results of its fight against corruption by the end of 2008, the statement said.

Stanishev and Brüner also discussed closer co-operation between Olaf and the State Agency for National Security (SANS), mediapool.bg said.

On August 21, Brüner also met Plougchieva, who refused to comment on the talks. The Olaf head is to meet also Prosecutor-General Boris Velchev and SANS head Petko Sertov on August 22.