MEPs vote to cover up fraud

Date article online: 23/04/2008

The European Parliament has voted against the publication of a report by its auditors which has revealed widespread abuse by MEPs of funds intended to be used for the payment of their staff.

MEPs in Strasbourg strengthened their secretive posture by rejecting proposals for auditors' reports to be made public as a matter of principle.

They also rejected calls backed by the Parliamentary Ombudsman for the names of the 407 members of the Voluntary Pension Fund to be made public.

The Parliament pays €27,720 each year into the pension fund of the members concerned, and they are supposed to make a private contribution of a further €13,860 each year.

However, it is believed that a significant number of MEPs pay their personal contributions from money allocated for their parliamentary duties - a practice described as "embezzlement" by local whistleblower MEP Chris Davies.

The Parliament today rejected demands for scrutiny of the use of this money, and for funds to be cut from MEPs found to be misusing the allowances.

Chris Davies, the Liberal Democrat MEP who earlier this year revealed the existence of the secret auditors' report, described today's series of votes on the Parliament's budget as "shameful".

He said: "These votes bring discredit and dishonour upon the entire Parliament. Far from cleaning up their act, a majority of MEPs seem intent on allowing greed and self-interest to triumph over the proper financial management of public money.

"On today's performance Europe's taxpayers could be forgiven for believing that there are more honest people to be found in prison that sit amongst in the European Parliament.

"Political parties in each member state must now take the initiative and insist that no candidate stands in next year's European elections unless they are pledged to support reform."