Martin Selmayr went from Jean-Claude Juncker's chief of staff to Commission secretary-general in next to no time | John Thys/AFP via Getty Images Ombudsman wraps up Selmayr job probe Commission says the two sides ‘continue to disagree’ on a number of the watchdog’s findings.

The European Ombudsman on Tuesday closed an inquiry into the lightning-quick appointment of Martin Selmayr to the European Commission’s top civil service post.

The investigation into the German's promotion from Jean-Claude Juncker's chief of staff to Commission secretary-general "did not follow EU law, in letter or spirit, and did not follow the Commission's own rules," the office of the ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, said in a statement.

The statement said the ombudsman has "recommended that the Commission should develop a specific appointment procedure for its Secretary-General, separate from other senior appointments" and "it is highly regrettable that the Juncker Commission chose not to implement this recommendation. The Ombudsman looks forward to its implementation by the next Commission."

In response, Human Resources Commissioner Günther Oettinger said in a statement that the two sides "continue to disagree" on a number of the watchdog's findings and "the person currently occupying this post [Selmayr] fully meets all the demanding requirements for the job."

In a scathing report detailing the findings of a five-month investigation that wrapped up last fall, O'Reilly said the Commission had committed four acts of "maladministration" by appointing Selmayr in February 2018.

Her report provided a detailed account of the process by which Selmayr was promoted to replace Secretary-General Alexander Italianer, who unexpectedly announced his retirement on February 21, 2018.

At the same meeting at which the retirement was announced, Selmayr was promoted — first to the position of deputy secretary-general, which was required for him to achieve a necessary increase in his civil service grade — and then immediately to secretary-general.

The report added that plans to catapult Selmayr to the top job had been in the works for at least a month, and perhaps longer.

The Commission fought back, saying the ombudsman never spoke to Selmayr or his predecessor about the appointment, and Oettinger said last December that the Commission "firmly rejects the observation made by the Ombudsman that it would have manipulated the rules in any way.”