EU anti-fraud body seeks to claw back 900 million euros

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, May 13, 2015. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Anti-fraud investigators recommended last year that the European Union try to claw back 900 million euros (1 billion pounds) lost from the EU budget because of suspected fraud, more than double the previous year's amount, officials said on Tuesday.

    The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), which investigates fraudulent use of EU funds and wrongdoing within EU institutions, said it had received 1,417 allegations of fraud last year, a record number.