EPP welcomes Abela Baldacchino: ‘questionable judgement by Labour’

The vice-chairman of the European People's Party, Manfred Weber, has called into question the decision by the Labour Party to field Claudette Abela Baldacchino for the causal elections for a seat in the European Parliament, as she faces criminal charges in court of misappropriation EU funds related to travel allowances.

Abela Baldacchino is charged with other members of the Local Councils Association of misappropriating the allowances in the purchase of air tickets, following a probe by anti-fraud agency OLAF.

"The election of the new Socialist Maltese MEP, Claudette Abela Baldacchino, calls into question the judgement of the Maltese Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party. Without prejudging the outcome of the process, and given that she is facing criminal charges, she should not have been allowed to contest yesterday's casual election to fill one of the vacant Maltese seats in the European Parliament. Even more so when the charges relate to the fraud of EU money," Manfred Weber said.

The MEP said her election to the European Parliament means that she will now enjoy Parliamentary immunity and this means that these criminal charges will be frozen unless immunity is waived. MEPs can vote to have Abela Baldacchino's immunity waivered.

"Does this serve the interest of justice? No, it does not. This is making a mockery of European democracy. As the European elections are fast approaching, this decision does nothing to increase trust in MEPs and in the European Parliament," Weber said.

His sentiment echoes that of former MEP and PN deputy leader Simon Busuttil, whose declarations in the House calling into question the ethics of allowing Abela Baldacchino to contest the casual elections were dismissed as "pandering" by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

Busuttil is currently seeking the PN's leadership. Abela Baldacchino, a Qrendi local councillor, did not run for the office in this year's round of local council elections.

"Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and this principle applies to everyone, not least to Ms Abela Baldacchino. But the decision of the Maltese Labour Party to let her contest this election is wrong. It shows lack of political judgement and could have been avoided," Weber said.

The OLAF inquiry concerned tickets purchased, and used by various members of the Local Councils Association between 2004 and 2006. Members of the LCA were charged on 11 January 2012 with defrauding the European Commission for the reimbursement of some €96,000 in airline tickets at full cost rather than the purchased price.

Among those charged were a mayor, former mayor, vice mayor and two local councillors who had private accounts with the travel agency KD Travel Services Limited. The councillors charged were members of the LCA's executive committee, including the LCA president and Kalkara mayor Michael Cohen who said that all the accused pleaded 'not guilty' but was hesitant to discuss the case further.

The councillors, who are all pleading not guilty to fraud, are: Doris Borg, Joseph Borg, Noel Formosa, Oreste Alessandro, Michael Cohen, Claudette Abela Baldacchino; former LCA president and Gzira councillor Ian Micallef.