Labour MEP candidate asks European anti-fraud agency to investigate Casa allegations

EU citizens expect reassurance that taxes they pay are not being "abusively pocketed by unscrupulous individuals", Labour MEP candidate Alex Agius Saliba said in a letter asking the European anti-fraud agency to investigate claims made against David Casa.

Agius Saliba wrote to OLAF, asking the anti-fraud agency to probe allegations made by a former Casa aide that staff salaries paid by the PN MEP's office were purposely inflated so that all funds allocated for the purpose could be claimed.

The whistleblower who worked with Casa spoke to MaltaToday about the matter. He claimed that there were years in which he had been paid more than the MEP himself.

MaltaToday reported last Sunday that it saw taxation records that prove the former aide to the PN MEP was paid €101,513 in 2009. The whistleblower claimed that his salary had been inflated by around €40,000 and that he had never pocketed the excess funds himself.

READ ALSO: In sworn affidavit, MEP’s former aide reveals David Casa’s drug habit

Now, Agius Saliba has written to OLAF, asking that these claims be investigated, along with other allegations that figures were made up for costs of office management, office equipment, communications, conference events, and stationery in order for Casa's office to be able to claim the full EP budget.

"The aide claimed to have written to OLAF directly. I am still unaware if OLAF has actually seen into these serious claims or not. I believe that looking into this matter could help OLAF determine if staff salaries can or are being inflated by EP members in order to claim a larger portion of the annual €270,000 staff budget," Agius Saliba wrote.