In its investigations the Office shall seek evidence for and against the person concerned. Investigations shall be conducted objectively and impartially and in accordance with the principle of the presumption of innocence and with the procedural guarantees set out in this Article.

The Office may interview a person concerned or a witness at any time during an investigation. Any person interviewed shall have the right to avoid self-incrimination.

The invitation to an interview shall be sent to a person concerned with at least 10 working days’ notice. That notice period may be shortened with the express consent of the person concerned or on duly reasoned grounds of urgency of the investigation. In the latter case, the notice period shall not be less than 24 hours. The invitation shall include a list of the rights of the person concerned, in particular the right to be assisted by a person of his choice.

The invitation to an interview shall be sent to a witness with at least 24 hours’ notice. That notice period may be shortened with the express consent of the witness or on duly reasoned grounds of urgency of the investigation.

The requirements referred to in the second and third subparagraphs shall not apply to the taking of statements in the context of on-the-spot checks and inspections.

Where, in the course of an interview, evidence emerges that a witness may be a person concerned, the interview shall be ended. The procedural rules provided for in this paragraph and in paragraphs 3 and 4 shall immediately apply. That witness shall be informed forthwith of his rights as a person concerned and shall receive, upon request, a copy of the records of any statements made by him in the past. The Office may not use that person’s past statements against him without giving him first the opportunity to comment on those statements.

The Office shall draw up a record of the interview and give the person interviewed access to it so that the person interviewed may either approve the record or add observations. The Office shall give the person concerned a copy of the record of the interview.

As soon as an investigation reveals that an official, other servant, member of an institution or body, head of office or agency, or staff member may be a person concerned, that official, other servant, member of an institution or body, head of office or agency, or staff member shall be informed to that effect, provided that this does not prejudice the conduct of the investigation or of any investigative proceedings falling within the remit of a national judicial authority.

Without prejudice to Articles 4(6) and 7(6), once the investigation has been completed and before conclusions referring by name to a person concerned are drawn up, that person shall be given the opportunity to comment on facts concerning him.

To that end, the Office shall send the person concerned an invitation to comment either in writing or at an interview with staff designated by the Office. That invitation shall include a summary of the facts concerning the person concerned and the information required by Articles 11 and 12 of Regulation (EC) No 45/2001, and shall indicate the time-limit for submitting comments, which shall not be less than 10 working days from receipt of the invitation to comment. That notice period may be shortened with the express consent of the person concerned or on duly reasoned grounds of urgency of the investigation. The final investigation report shall make reference to any such comments.

In duly justified cases where it is necessary to preserve the confidentiality of the investigation and/or entailing the use of investigative proceedings falling within the remit of a national judicial authority, the Director-General may decide to defer the fulfilment of the obligation to invite the person concerned to comment.

In cases referred to in Article 1(2) of Annex IX to the Staff Regulations, failure on the part of the institution, body, office or agency to respond within one month to the request of the Director-General for deferral of the fulfilment of the obligation to invite the person concerned to comment shall be deemed to constitute a reply in the affirmative.

Any person interviewed shall be entitled to use any of the official languages of the institutions of the Union. However, officials or other servants of the Union may be required to use an official language of the institutions of the Union of which they have a thorough knowledge.