Hans-Martin Tillack

Hans-Martin Tillack is a German reporter, formerly stationed in Brussels. He was the most efficient in exposing Eurostat scandal, the E-U statistical body based in Luxembourg. For months he wrote his successive findings and Stern magazine published his revelations about hidden accounts and fictitious contracts. Until May 16th 2003 when Financial Times headlines revealed "A vast enterprise for looting community funds". Two top French managers were removed from office and the whole Eurostat directorate was dismissed. Six separate fraud investigations into Eurostat were required by OLAF the E-U anti-fraud body. Subsequently H.M. Tillack was arrested by Belgian police at the instigation of authorities of the European Union, whose bodies he was investigating in relation to allegations of fraud.His case demonstrated again that Belgium needed better laws to protect journalistic sources from being revealed by judicial pressure and has set in motion the process of new legislation in this field.