Sports equipment is charactered as a "weapon" when the narrative of "victim" is sought by the thugs

Summary: In its desperate pursuit of a narrative wherein the staff of the EPO is violent and aggressive the management of the EPO, renowned for institutional aggression, finds (or claims to have found) a little tampering with a bicycle

THERE are bad liars, good (skilled) liars, pathological liars, and chronic liars. For some it's a career path.

"Incident," as a source put it to us, was allegedly reported "yesterday on EPO premises and today's official announcement by Željko Topić" can be seen below:

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Incident yesterday on EPO premises

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25.05.2016

Deliberate damage to personal property of the President

Dear colleagues,

I would like to draw your attention to an incident which happened at some time yesterday in the non-public underground parking area of the Isar Building.

The bicycle belonging to President Battistelli was damaged to an extent that even the brakes were tampered with. This was without doubt a deliberate act of vandalism.

I strongly deplore this utterly unacceptable act and trust that you, the staff of the European Patent Office, join me in condemning the behaviour of the person or persons who committed this offence.

I remind staff of their duty to behave at all times in the manner expected of an international civil servant.

Željko Topić

Vice-President DG 4

25.05.16 | Author: Željko Topić - Vice-President DG 4

Now let's critically assess this bizarre message, which looks almost like it belongs in the April 1st spam folder/filter. This is Željko Topić we're talking about here; it's the person who faces many criminal charges for a variety of alleged abuses. This is the man whom Zagreb Police Department may be after right now (he has been avoiding judges and courts as of late, including on April 1st itself). Topić is just about the least reliable source at the EPO right now. He is probably a lot worse than Battistelli.

“I am expecting something more deep and stronger against Mr. Topić in [the] next weeks from State prosecutor or attorneys office in Zagreb...”
      --AnonymousSomeone wrote to us only yesterday about Topić (same day as the above 'incident'). "I am expecting something more deep and stronger against Mr. Topić in [the] next weeks from State prosecutor or attorneys office in Zagreb," told us this person, who is from Croatia.

What a convenient way for Topić to distract everyone and portray Team Battistelli as the victim. There is a lot coming from Zagreb these days (regarding Topić) and we shall give details/contacts/documents in the coming weeks/months.

"There is a lot coming from Zagreb these days (regarding Topić) and we shall give details/contacts/documents in the coming weeks/months."Unsurprisingly, EPO staff (like examiners) aren't startled by the words of Topić. "It sounds funny or like a joke," one person told us, "however the opposite is true it's deadly serious according to Željko Topić and his thugs!"

"Enjoy the lecture," the person added.

It would be mean and unprofessional to treat is as merely a prank or a joke, but obviously some people cannot help the temptation and say things like this:

EPO Staff obviously condemns without any reservation such act of appalling violence. EPO staff is also relieved to learn that the anarchist group who tried to kill Mr Battistelli has not stolen the saddle of the presidential bike since this could have caused him serious and painful injuries.

Considering the severity of the events EPO staff suggests:

1 - that the EPO offers a bounty to anyone denouncing the culprits (plural is needed as it is obvious that such an action can only have been executed by a group of very well organised individuals presumably with the help of structured international networks)

2 - that the EPO via its investigative unit immediately takes DNA samples from all EPO staff + all external providers + all neighbours of the Isar building within a radius of 500 m.

3 - that the EPO hires without further delay additional bodyguards (if possible ex Navy Seals) in charge of securing the presidential bicycle 24/7 plus some in charge of the presidential cars, presidential lift and presidential toilets (since no place will ever be secured after this sabotage).

Our position on all this is that it's not severe, we don't know if it's true (or to what degree it's true), and given the messenger, Mr. Topić, we strongly urge/call for scepticism. Remember that what was called a "weapon" by these thugs later turned out to be sporting equipment, or a club used for leisurely activities.

Some people who spoke to us wouldn't necessarily suspect that it's a "false flag" but might suggest that the timing for the above is perfect. To quote: "Of course all this has absolutely NOTHING TO DO with the fact that...IPkat published the costs of his bodyguards (550,000 for six months which means they are more expensive than examiners) AND that in Munich yesterday and today a meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee is being held..." ⬆

Update: Some comments have just appeared about this at IP Kat. An anonymous person writes: "Well, it appears that someone has deliberately damaged Battistelli's bicycle in the office's Isar building car park (announced by VP4 internally to all staff, deploring the action which appears to have been an inside job). The brakes were tampered with too. And all this so soon after Merpel's visit... Now I may be adding 2 and 2 and making 9 lives, but until we get a katagorical denial..."

Even Merpel replies humorously with: "Merpel can kategorically deny any involvement in such activity, which naturally she completely deplores. Not only does she lack the opposable digits that would be necessary for such tampering (scratch marks would be much more her thing) but also she understands that this action took place in a non-public part of the office, into which she would of course not scamper uninvited. She reckons she still has several lives left yet."

It doesn't look like anyone takes the above very seriously. But it sure contributes to the atmosphere of fear and helps defend Battistelli's notorious paranoia.

Update #2 (the day after): Comments continue as follows: "The president never comes at the EPO by bicycle. This story looks very strange (probably a new propaganda). The purpose is to show that the president really needs bodyguards and an investigation unit. Also, it will be a pretext to cut some additional staff (representative) heads."

This is actually a sentiment shared among other people we spoke to.

Other people treat this mostly as a joke. One wrote: "Ever bike? Now that's something that makes life worth living! ...Oh, to just grip your handlebars and lay down to it, and you ripping and tearing through the Munich streets and road, over railroad tracks and bridges, threading crowds, avoiding collisions, at 40 kilometres or more an hour, and wondering all the time when you're going to smash up. Well, now, that's something! And then you arrive at the office after an hour of it... and then to think I can do it this evening all over again!.... sh..t somebody ruined my bbbbbbike!"

Another joke (about the notorious surveillance of EPO staff and even visitors using hidden cameras): "Obviously they forgot to set up security cameras this time."

The connection to the budget (for expensive bodyguards) is then mentioned as follows: "It was reported (on Wednesday) that it happened on Tuesday - the day that both the B28 and the Budget and Finance committees of the AC met in Munich, presumably in the Isar building? The list of suspects grows."

Lastly there is this: "Mr. Topić tells us that someone tampered with the brakes on the presidential bike yesterday. The clear message is that there has been an attempt to harm the President. That's quite serious, isn't it?

"Topić goes on to condemn the damage to the bike (but not the attack on the President, strangely) and reminds staff to behave like international civil servants.

"This is a ridiculously inadequate response. The person who is ultimately responsible for the president's security should be dismissed. He or she has clearly failed in their duty."

This is especially funny (like black comedy) coming from Topić, who preaches about behaviour of international civil servants while he himself faces many criminal charges and refuses to even attend the courts upon demand. Like his colleagues at the EPO's management, professionalism means not obeying the law and ignoring court rulings, apparently.

Update #3 (later on the same day): More noteworthy observations are made, as it's no longer just about a bicycle but increasingly a question of integrity, i.e. whether the EPO's management is simply lying (or hyping). As one person put it: "The President now uses a Bike? Really? Someone who does not go around without his bodyguards, who has personal lift that cannot be used by anybody else at the main building would take the time to ride a bike to go to work? To stroll around on Sunday and mingle with the commoners in such a trivial activity?

"By the way, did they also damage the bikes of his bodyguards? Or do they run behind him when e [sic] bikes around?"

"They're just recycling old Sarko-stuff," one person wrote, linking to "Sarkozy misused French ministry to find scooter, critics say" (remember that Sarkozy and Battistelli are connected politically). "That being said, when cars are keyed in the Examiner€´s/Formalities' buildings (which are quite distant from the Isar building), it does not make it to the intranet... Sorry for the bike though."

Another person wrote: "I wouldn't be surprised that the bodyguards run around him, like the gardes suisses around the papamobile. (The thought of a presidential bicyclette shielded by Panzerglas in the Munich traffic just rushed through my head).

"But seriously, do you honestly believe that Mr. B would ever mingle with the riff raff and risk the possibility of an encounter with one of them?

"My own bike was damaged on EPO premises years and years ago, under the Shell building, as it was still called. (The parking facility was rather shoddy, you could get around the door easily by pulling the fence towards you). I don't remember this making it in the pages of the Gazette or the nascent intranet...

"I suspect a sinister motive behind Topic's announcement, i.e., creating some pretext for a form of collective punishment, or inventing a new chicanery for harassing staff, or even launching a new witch hunt."

There might also be the timing (budget fodder). One commenter agrees with the above and adds: "Indeed, it is in the script of every respectable Dictatorship: use an attempt to the life of the Great Leader to request special powers from the Central Committee - ahem, Administrative Council, to further reduce Civil Liberties and get rid of the last Members of the Opposition.

"(I also heard that in addition the Presidential Bike, the Tricycle of VP5 Raimund Lutz and the Bobby-Car of VP4 Guillaume Minnoye were also damaged ... I'm shocked to think that an International Civil Servant could act like this ...)"

The last comment for now also agrees with the above: "This only looks like a pretext for more and harsher security measures. Just wait. I suppose that in less than four weeks there will be a notice on the Intranet announcing new kinds of (ridiculous) controls etc., maybe even more hidden cameras."