Giovanni Kessler

Giovanni Kessler (Trento, June 11, 1956) is an Italian prosecutor. He is currently the Director-General of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). OLAF is a department of the European Commission, but it is independent in its investigative function. Based in Brussels, OLAF is tasked with protecting the financial interests of the European Union by investigating fraud, corruption and any other illegal activities. It also investigates serious matters relating to the discharge of professional duties by members and staff of the EU institutions and it supports the EU institutions, in particular the European Commission, in the development and implementation of anti-fraud legislation and policies.

Giovanni Kessler is the son of Bruno Kessler (1924–1991), a former President of the Autonomous Province of Trento and vice-minister to the Interior.

Giovanni Kessler graduated in law at the University of Bologna.

In 1985 he became a member of the Italian judiciary and served as prosecutor in the courts of Trento and then of Bolzano. From 1995 he worked for two years as anti-mafia prosecutor in Caltanissetta (Sicily) at the anti-mafia Directorate.

From 1998 to 1999, he was Deputy Head of the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission in Pristina, in charge of Police and Justice matters. As judicial expert, he also participated to several evaluation missions of the European Commission and Council of Europe in Eastern Europe.

In 2001, he was elected to the Italian Parliament as independent member. He sat on the Justice Affairs Committee and during his five-year term, he authored numerous bills on the International Criminal Court, the European Convention against corruption, the International Judiciary Cooperation and the European Arrest Warrant. From 2003-2006, he also became Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

From 2006 to 2008 he held the position of Italian High Commissioner to Combat Counterfeiting.

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