PL ramps up pressure on MEP cash, PN insists they did nothing wrong

The Labour Party has kept up the pressure on accusations that the PN’s three MEPs used EU cash from general expenditure allowances to finance the Nationalist Party.

The PL’s allegations were reported in Brussels newspaper Politico, which reported that Malta’s Nationalist MEPs “last week voted against a proposal that would have obliged EU lawmakers to publish all receipts purchased using the personal allowance. Malta’s three Labour MPs voted in favour of the plan.”

“Frankly, the complete lack of transparency and accountability of the [personal allowance] is appalling and it’s a scandal waiting to happen,” a spokesperson for Transparency International said, in general comments on the general expenditure allowance that is given to MEPs.

MEPs Roberta Metsola, Therese Comodini Cachia and David Casa vehemently denied the allegations, insisting they adhere to the strictest control and their accounts are audited every year and made public along with a transparency form.

The PN says that its media arm, Media.Link, rents out office space at the PN headquarters to the MEPs, and that this was not inconsistent with EU rules.

But Labour insists that the MEPs used allowances that should be used for local constituency offices, instead to channel them through the PN. 

According to EU rules, European funds “may not be used for the direct or indirect funding of other political parties.”

“All audits have consistently found that all funds were used in full compliance with EU rules. This is proven with signed documentation from respected auditors – again available online on all MEPs websites. The PN MEPs do this every year even though there is no legal requirement for MEPs to do so – in line with best practice examples of NGOs in the sector. Labour MEPs do not,” the PN said in a statement.

The PN said the allegations were intended at diverting attention from claims of a whistleblower who says “Joseph Muscat is guilty of corruption and money laundering, directly linking him to the Azerbaijan ruling family.”

The PN said Muscat had still not given an explanation as to how he spent €20,000 of EU funds every month on employing one single person.

Labour is insisting that the allegations should be referred to Olaf – the EU’s anti-fraud office. “This is appalling and a scandal waiting to happen,” junior minister Ian Borg and PL executive president Gino Cauchi said in a press conference. “This is misappropriation of EU funds.”