A new European Parliament working group tasked with monitoring corruption and the rule of law in the EU has Malta in its crosshairs, Times of Malta
has learnt.
The group, set up within the EP’s committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs (Libe), has been given a general mandate to monitor corruption and the rule of law within the EU and to address specific situations, in particular Malta.
MEPs will build upon the work of the rule of law delegation to Malta last November. The delegation found a lack of will by the Maltese authorities to investigate political corruption and money laundering.
The working group is expected to hold hearings in the European Parliament as well as missions to Malta to ascertain the extent of the threat to the rule of law, and how this affects collegiality and cooperation between EU countries.
Sources familiar with the proposed workings of the group said it would be tasked with preparing the EP response to many of the issues revealed by the Daphne Project. It will recommend follow-up action on a European level to ensure adequate protection of media freedom in the EU, and any possible EU action to tackle corruption and safeguard the rule of law as necessary.
The Daphne Project, which Times of Malta is a member of, revealed the cross-border impact of many of slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s stories. It revealed how Malta’s Pilatus Bank was used by Azerbaijan’s elite to put millions into property and business ventures in the EU.
Prosecutors in the US said this week that the bank was set up using the proceeds of criminal activity. The new working group will consist of one member per political group and its chair will be elected next week. It will serve as the European Parliament’s central point on the situation in Malta.
MEP Roberta Metsola, who will be the EPP’s member on the working group, described the new initiative as a clear commitment from the European Parliament to not allow the “corruption toxicity” to spread further. She said the group would ensure the assassination of a journalist would not be swept under the carpet.
The MEP said people in Malta had a legitimate expectation that EU institutions would safeguard their rights as Maltese and Europeans.
“Apart from his constant defence and excusal of Konrad Mizzi’s outrageous behaviour, there has been no action on the part of Joseph Muscat to address the situation, so it is no surprise that the Parliament was forced to take this next step – MEPs find it extraordinary that despite all the revelations, there has been zero political accountability”, Dr Metsola said.