David Charter in Brussels
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Senior members of the European Parliament turned their fire on a whistle-blower for disclosing the existence of a confidential report into widespread misuse of expenses yesterday as they voted for it to stay secret.
Chris Davies, a Liberal Democrat who broke ranks to reveal that an internal auditor had found a number of scams being operated by MEPs, was attacked for misusing private information and for rarely turning up to committee meetings. MEPs on the Budget Control Committee voted by 21 to 14 not to publish the report, with the support of the two main groups in Parliament, the European People’s Party, which includes the Conservatives, and the Socialists, including Labour.
“We were crushed by the forces of darkness using procedural rules,” Mr Davies said. “I have been accused of bringing the Parliament into disrepute but I don’t think you should blame the messenger. It is those who practise activities akin to fraud who are bringing it into disrepute.”
The committee was supposed to cover the €¤107 billion (£80 billion) EU accounts, failed by the Court of Auditors for the thirteenth year in a row, but instead spent much of its time venting its spleen at Mr Davies and the auditor who wrote the report.
MEPs have been allowed a wide discretion over their annual assistance allowance of €185,952. Mr Davies disclosed that an internal auditor had detailed various scams used by some MEPs, sometimes without technically breaking the rules, to line their own pockets. One MEP paid a Christmas bonus to an assistant worth 19 times his salary, several others set up arms-length companies to pay expenses to bogus staff and others seemed to funnel money to their political parties while claiming to be paying assistants.
In the secret report, available for MEPs on the committee to read only in a sealed room after taking an oath of secrecy, the auditor also set out a series of recommendations for changes to ensure probity and transparency.
José Javier Pomés Ruiz, a Spanish EPP member, led the attack. “Coming along and saying ‘publish’ when you have not been involved in the process, I do not think that is 100 per cent honest,” he told Mr Davies. “If you look at the headlines and look at the report, there are great differences. Passing information to the press is a misuse of information and a misuse of parliamentary obligations.”
Mr Pomés Ruiz said that the appropriate body to carry out any investigation was Olaf, the EU anti-fraud office. Mr Davies pointed out that Olaf would not have known about the secret audit if he had not alerted the world to its existence. The auditor who wrote the report was attacked for “going above his competences” by Szabolcs Fazakas, a Hungarian Socialist.
Herbert Bösch, an Austrian Socialist and committee chairman, told Mr Davies that he was wasting his time calling for the report to be published. Speaking afterwards Mr Bösch insisted that there were areas of MEP expenditure that should remain private. “I will refuse any demand to have a look at my journeys or trips because sometimes you have to meet people off the agenda,” he said.
The only British voice raised in Mr Davies’s favour was by Ashley Mote, the disgraced independent MEP recently released from prison for fiddling British benefit payments. Chris Heaton-Harris, a Tory MEP, defied the EPP group line to vote for publication, calling the decision a huge missed opportunity.
Hans-Peter Martin, an Austrian MEP ostracised after he filmed some of his colleagues signing in for the day to collect their per diem allowance, then promptly leaving, said: “This Parliament is a paradise of unjustified privileges and possibilities for real cheats. It is a central problem for democracy and credibility in Europe.”
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One curious thing is that this significant vote seems to be ignored by some of the media around the EU, it maybe that this is a good test of which countries control their media and only follow PC safe stories. If you are in another EU country have a look around to see if any websites ran the story.
Malcolm, Buzet, Belgium
The trouble is they set the standards, so it becomes more and more acceptable to cheat the tax man, the benefits system and the company that pays your wages. Eventually societies become so corrupted they fail to function and an ever bigger percentage of its people cant find anywhere to live, find food prices beyond their ability to pay and power too costly. This could be the road this country is taking. Other countries throughout the world have eventually had their military forces take power from their corrupt politicians. By the way I disagree with Jim Wills from Brisbane, our ever closer ties with Europe over recent decades have led us to lower our moral standards to their level.
allan, Warwick, uk
Yeah, its like all criminals being allowed to carry on because they say its ok!
Totally bizzare, ministers should be forced to come clean about thier expenses and not vote to hide them.
Hypocricy at its highest level.
chris coughlan, cardiff, wales
Put this to the vote.
judy, Liverpool, England
what is the point of the eu , waste of our money
deniary5, leicester, uk
And they wonder why we want out of the EU. Any known criminals should be named, rounded up and jailed.
Kate, Newcastle, England
''EU acounts failed by the Court of Auditors for 13 years in a row''if this happened to any business,which is impossible of course,every bureaucrat in existence would close them down.The EU is a gravy train for failed politicians and insignificant wannabees with both their hands out and it will never change.In Europe it is the nature of the beast.
Keith Pirelli, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Would this be the same Chris Davies, Lib Dem, MEP that tried to introduce a piece of EU legislation banning 75% of cars presently produced, shutting all the super car manufacturers down with the associated loss of jobs and forcing Formula 1 racing to become a no-cost R&D department for the motor industry that was widely panned for it's junk science and nonsense reasoning?
This sounds more like someone out for his fifteen minutes of fame than a whistleblowing, that just so happens to pander to headlines.
Following the money isn't always that simple.....
Falanx, Birmingham, UK
I depise these pale insipid creatures laughingly called 'servants to the public'. At least nowdays we get some news of what's going on, I suspect troughing has been a major sport for many years. I would vote in a heartbeat to get out of Europe.
Roger, Surrey,
This clearly a case of fraud on a massive scale and should be thoroughly investigated by the police. My no vote for joining this black hole called the EU has definitley been vindicated, we should get out of this Mafia type organisation as soon as possible.
David Lester, southampton,
This is an obvious prima facie case of Fraud. What are the local police doing ?
When can Britain leave this dreadful criminal conspiracy ?
No wonder decent Britons are leaving in ever increasing numbers to far-off countries to get away from the E U.
Are you listening Mr Brown? I doubt it !! - Labour's plan to decimate and then eliminate the middle class is working really well.
Richard, Kiev, Ukraine
The MEPs probably used the Westminister MPs as a role model!
Jim Wills, Brisbane , Australia
As more and more stories are unfolded about extortionate expenses and allowances there has to be a feeling of national despondency, that those who represent us can resort to such profligacy, Perhaps it's time for the nation to take to the streets!
trevorjd, Torbay, UK
"Jenny, Grand Rapids, MI, US"
Well said, Jenny.
To hell with the EU then. I propose a ESPU (English-Speaking Peoples Union) composed of GB, USA, Canada, Ireland (If they want to join), the Aussies and Kiwis, and any other Commonwealth countries that want to join in. We all (mostly) get along with each other, and we trade like crazy between ourselves, so why not let's get on with it.
Paul Woodside, San Jose, California
This is all the more reason why joining fully to europe is a huge mistake.
MEP's have been caught out, and still they proclaim they have a right to cash which is not theirs.
Whomever says they will take us out of europe, has my vote!
Arthur, Newcastle,
Nu LAbour are about the last party capable of dealing with Europe. They have proved themselves totally inept at negotiations in Europe. One only has to look at the assimilation of Eastern European nations, whilst France and Germany were negotiating opt outs to free movement of labour, Nu Labour did nothing.
martin, reading, uk
While this is all terribly worrying..........how can I get a job like this?
Toby Fella, Bucharest,
It is time we got out of the EU and stopped giving vast sums simply for it to be wasted. No other organization in the world would be allowed to continue when the audited accounts fail to be signed of for 13 years.
Our MPs are also scamming expenses but the scale for MEPs is huge and with the desire to protect the reputation of the EU parliament foremost then they know they will never ever be punished.
joe, Edinburgh, Scotland
Look, I know that I'm an American, and lord knows we have kind of a similar mess over here that we have to address here, but I feel the need to speak up on the subject.
My maternal grandfather fought in WWII, he was stationed for a time in England, and from what he told me, the English people back then wouldn't have stood for this. I have to say it, "stiff upper lip" and "soldier through" didn't translate to being a doormat. From what he told me, the British people he met, by and large were a formidable force that weren't afraid to take a stand once they got their nose in a joint about it.
You all don't have to take this. Please stand up and have Chris Davies back on this. Let him know how you feel, and similarly, let your MP's and other leaders who are involved with the EU government know as well. Inform them that this is a watershed, defining moment for them in your not so humble opinion. If this is what the EU is all about, you refuse to be forced into it!!!
Jenny, Grand Rapids, MI, US
Pigs at the trough. Or should we just call them what they are? Criminals.
Alistair, Edinburgh,
Animal farm
Nick P., Camberley Surrey, England
Why is anyone surprised? Sounds like politics as usual. What a shame...
Luis Campalans, Los Angeles, CA, USA