Il-ġlieda kontra l-korruzzjoni tista’ tinkiseb biss permezz ta’ trasparenza u mekkaniżmi effettivi kontra l-frodi – Alfred Sant

Meta kien qed jindirizza s-sessjoni plenarja tal-Parlament Ewropew, Alfred Sant esprima appoġġ sħiħ għall-prinċipji li jinsabu f’rapport dwar il-protezzjoni tal-interessi finanzjarji tal-UE li skonthom l-Istati Membri tal-UE u l-Kummissjoni Ewropea għandhom responsabbiltà kondiviża biex jipproteġu l-interessi finanzjarji tal-UE. Malta tissemma darbtejn fir-rapport.

Min-naħa l-oħra, Alfred Sant oppona bil-qawwa l-mod kif inħolqu partijiet mir-riżoluzzjoni tal-Parlament Ewropew. F’tentattiv biex Malta tkun imbarazzata, kienet msemmija li naqset milli taħtar il-prosekutur tagħha fl-Uffiċċju tal-Prosekutur Pubbliku Ewropew.

L-UPPE huwa uffiċċju ta’ prosekuzzjoni indipendenti u deċentralizzat tal-Unjoni Ewropea, bil-kompetenza li jinvestiga, jipproċedi u jwassal għal ġudizzju reati kontra l-baġit tal-UE, bħal frodi, korruzjoni u abbużi fil-VAT madwar l-Unjoni Ewropea.

“Dawl li kitbu l-abbozz kienu jafu li d-dewmien fl-isem ta’ prosekutur kien minħabba li ma’ nstabitx persuna xierqa wara t-tnedija f’waqtha ta’ sejħa għall-applikazzjonijiet, li mbagħad reġgħet saret. Huma kienu jafu li l-problema kienet finalment solvuta. Li tipprova tipproġetta dan bħala att intenzjonat li kellu bżonn jissemma biex jimbarazza lil Malta mhuwiex denju ta’ din l-istituzzjoni u rrid nirreġistra l-protesta tiegħi kontra l-mod mgħawweġ ta’ kif qed jitmexxa x-xogħol ta’ din il-Kamra”, qal Alfred Sant lill-Parlament Ewropew

Għal din ir-raġuni, Alfred Sant qal li astjena fil-vot u spjega li kien jivvota kontra r-riżoluzzjoni iżda din setgħet għal darb’oħra tkun intenzjonalment interpretata ħażin bħala vot kontra l-prinċipji li għandhom jiġu segwiti biex jipproteġu l-interessi finanzjarji tal-UE.

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Fighting corruption can only be achieved through transparency and effective anti-fraud mechanisms – Alfred Sant

Fighting corruption can only be achieved through transparency and effective anti-fraud mechanisms, especially when it comes to infrastructure works financed by EU funds, Alfred Sant has said in the European Parliament.

Addressing the plenary session of the European Parliament, Alfred Sant expressed full support to the principles contained in a report concerning the protection of the EU’s financial interests according to which EU Member States and the European Commission have a shared responsibility to protect the EU financial interests. Malta is mentioned twice in the report.

On the other hand, Alfred Sant has strongly opposed the manner by which parts of the resolution in the European Parliament were crafted. In an attempt to shame Malta, it is named as having failed to appoint its prosecutor to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. 

EPPO is an independent and decentralised prosecution office of the European Union, with the competence to investigate, prosecute and bring to judgment crimes against the EU budget, such as fraud, corruption or serious cross-border VAT fraud.

“The drafters knew that the delay in naming a prosecutor was due to the inability to find a suitable appointee following the timely launch of a call for applications, which was then rerun. They knew that the problem had been finally solved. Trying to project this as a deliberate act that needed to be named and shamed is unworthy of this institution and I want to register my protest against such a distorted way of conducting the business of this House”, Alfred Sant told the European Parliament 

For this reason, Alfred Sant said he abstained in the vote and explained that he would have voted against the resolution but this could again have been wilfully mis-interpreted as a vote against the principles that must be followed to protect the EU’s financial interests.