Steffen Lüdke Profile picture
Jul 29 16 tweets 4 min read
Now in English, without paywall: We read the secret OLAF report that reveals the full extent of the #Frontexscandal. The agency covered up the Greek pushback campaign and even helped to finance it.👇 spiegel.de/international/…
The report confirms our previous reporting – and adds incredible details, based on private messages. Instead of preventing the pushbacks, Leggeri and his team covered for Greece, blatantly lied to the EU Parliament and its own Management Board.
The report is 129 pages long, submitted in February. EU public has no access, although its taxpayers money being used for illegal purposes.
There are blatant admissions in the report: "Based on the picture and information we had and the images we saw, it was a common belief within the Agency that we were been confronted with ‚illegal pushbacks’ but senior management wanted to cover [up]"
The Greek coast guard was "seriously endangering the lives of the passengers", an official noted referring to an incident from August 2020, when a flimsy dinghy, in an incident captured by a FX aerial asset, was seen being towed towards Turkey.
Frontex withdrew their aerial surveillance in response, so not to witness more fundamental rights violations. A handwritten note dated November 16, 2020 says: "We withdrew our FSA some time ago so as not to become a witness..." The EU agency deliberately looked the other way.
Such events were repeated, officials wrote in August, they were getting harder and harder to deal with. The incidents posed a "huge reputational risk" for the agency.
Leggeri and his team were particularly suspicious of the EU Commission which they suspected to be siding with NGOs. In messages they spoke about the "stupidity" of a Commission representative.
Frontex culture is toxic for Human Rights. Former Fundamental Rights Officer Arnaez was compared to communist dictator Pol Pot. They and their left-wing employees would impose a "terror regime" in the style of the "Khmer Rouge" over the agency, the messages read.
Reading those messages one has to conclude that the EU put Frontex, a very well-funded agency, in the hands of a right-wing populist.
The report focuses on Leggeri and his team, but puts  pressure on EU Commission and Frontex' new leadership. They would have to act now if they don't want to be complicit.
The report is apparently so toxic that many people don't want to read it. EU Commission VP Schinas, who insiders say is acting more as a Greek than an EU senior official, recently fumbled the question when asked. Kalnaja openly says she has not read it.
Commissioner Johansson is politically responsible. She has warned GR to stop pushbacks but COM has not cut funding. Nothing has happened so far, despite a lot of evidence, see e.g. one of our latest investigations:
spiegel.de/international/…
Kalnaja is obliged to end an operation if "serious and persistent violations of fundamental rights" occur. The OLAF report proves this. But she plans to expand the operation in Greece instead. This means more officers under control of the HCG.

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More from @stluedke

Jul 28
Exclusive: We were able to read the confidential #OLAF report on #Frontex' involvement in Greek pushbacks in Aegean. It shows in detail that Greece commits pushbacks, Frontex financed them and covered them up – some incredible gems in there.
spiegel.de/ausland/fronte…
The report confirms all our reporting – and adds important details, based on private messages. Instead of preventing the pushbacks, Leggeri and his team covered for Greece, blatantly lied to the EU Parliament, and concealed the fact that Frontex is financing them.
The report is 129 pages, submitted in February. EU public has no access, although its their money being used for illegal purposes.
Read 20 tweets
Jun 11
#Spain considered delivering #Leopard tanks Ukraine. Then Berlin told them off, according to @derspiegel info @MelAmann.

According to govnmt sources, 🇩🇪 warned 🇪🇸 that this step would be a departure from the informal decision of West not to supply Kiev with western tanks 1/4
„Apparently, the plan was leaked before anyone in the Spanish government who was familiar with the issue had been involved, the German government said somewhat mockingly.“ 2/4
That’s the German spin, but it is a sentence that is somewhat embarrassing for the Sánchez government. @desdelamoncloa @Defensagob did not want to comment when approached.

Defense minister Robles had acknowledged that a Leopard delivery „is on the table“ on Tuesday night. 3/4
Read 6 tweets
Mar 17
Exclusive @derspiegel @LHreports:

We now have internal photos proving Frontex and Fabrice Leggeri knew early on about the Greek pushback campaign and covered it up. Never has an illegal pushback been captured so clearly. Images in 🧵
spiegel.de/ausland/fronte…
The pushback was recorded by a Frontex aircraft on April 18/April 19 2020. Images show clearly how the Hellenic Coast Guard is towing a migrant boat.
The asylum seekers are then taken onboard.
Read 17 tweets
Jul 15, 2021
#Frontex had evidence of human rights violations in Greece & either did nothing or covered it up. The report by the @Europarl_EN, seen by @derspiegel, states that Leggeri made his Fundamental Rights Officer delete info on a pushback case!

spiegel.de/ausland/geflue…
This was the case on April 18/19 2020. Frontex recorded a clear Greek pushback from the air. Leggeri buried the case, mislead parliament about it. We had published on the case before, now we know how far he went. He even made the FRO delete the material. spiegel.de/ausland/wie-fr…
Some reactions: @Tineke_Strik, rapporteur, calls Leggeri‘s actions „appalling“. „This reveals that Leggeri doesn’t hesitate to abuse his powers in order to protect the Greek government.“
Read 6 tweets
Mar 27, 2021
According to @derspiegel info, UNHCR has given the Greek authorities info about "several hundred" suspected illegal pushbacks. UNHCR demands an investigation and consequences. 1/X
spiegel.de/politik/auslan…
UNHCR has previously demanded an investigation, but now they are pressing the Greeks harder than ever. "The right to asylum is under attack in Europe", @UNHCRGirard told me. 2/X
.@derspiegel @LHreports @bellingcat have proven that Greece is systematically pushing back people at sea in dinghies and inflatable life rafts. The Hellenic Coast Guard also pushes back people that had already reached islands like Lesvos and Samos. 3/X
spiegel.de/international/…
Read 9 tweets
Mar 26, 2021
Hat sich wirklich eine schwangere Frau auf Lesbos angezündet? @welt warf uns eine Falschmeldung vor – auf Basis eines Berichts der Bundespolizei, in dem von einem "Kochunfall" die Rede ist.

Wir haben den Fall rekonstruiert. Ein Thread.
spiegel.de/politik/auslan…
So zitiert die Welt die Bundespolizei: "Nach Infos, die IOM vorliegen, und laut Fotos der Verletzungen handelt es sich nach Einschätzung des Beauftragten für Flucht und Migration [der dt. Botschaft] um einen gewöhnlichen Kochunfall – hauptsächlich Verbrennungen an den Armen."
Wir haben Gerichtsdokumente, Berichte der Feuerwehr und vier Zeugenaussagen ausgewertet, darunter die der betroffenen Afghanin selbst. Tl;dr: Nichts, gar nichts, spricht für die Version der Bundespolizei.
Read 9 tweets

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