Government accuses detractors of 'tarnishing' Abela's reputation

Malta’s nominee to the European Court of Auditors, Toni Abela, has been turned down by MEPs of the budgetary control committee, after a tough grilling over his lack of experience for the ECA and his political life instantly thrown at him by his interviewers.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:51pm, allowing Abela to benefit from less time under the glare of his inquisitors.

The MEPs from the CONT committee also rejected the Polish and Slovak nominations.

The committee's recommendation will now go to the European Parliament, for a final vote to take place in plenary.

The government expressed its disappointment that the committee had rejected Abela’s nomination. Whilst thanking the Socialists and the Greens for supporting Abela’s nomination, the government expressed its disappointment at “those who had an interest in tarnishing Abela’s reputation in the European Parliament”, while calling Abela a man of integrity.

In his reply to a questionnaire from MEPs, Abela had said that if the Parliament found major objections to his nomination, he would feel obliged to withdraw his candidacy.

Abela had to face questions on his limited experience in public office as deputy mayor of Hamrun for Alternattiva Demokratika - one MEP said he had only been a deputy mayor 'of a village', underlining the small size of the town; and that prior to the 2013 elections he had to face allegations of covering up a drug incident inside one of the Labour Party’s clubs, the infamous 'white block' incident.

But Abela told MEPs that he had submitted himself freely to any investigation by the police in 2013 when the PN released fragmented peices of an unauthorised recording in which Abela is heard recalling an incident in which cocaine was found inside a Labour club. “The incident that was broken in 2013 had happened two years earlier, through a recording I was unaware of. I addressed the press three times on the matter. At the time I was instilling discipline in the party by referring to this incident. No action was ever taken against me in three years since then. This incident has only resurfaced now in the press.”

Abela said that he was managing 65 party clubs at the time and that he was laying down the line with party members.

Abela said that since his nomination, he had relinquished his role as an advisor to the government when MEPs asked him about a protest led by the Nationalist Party against institutionalised corruption. “It’s not for me to judge what is happening in Malta now that I aspire to be a member of the ECA,” Abela said.

The former Labour deputy leader also claimed he never felt himself “particularly attached” to any party. He described the creation of Alternattiva Demokratika in 1988 as a game-changer for Maltese politics. “I campaigned back then for a whistleblowers’ law, and it is only now that it is being introduced, and I was part of this push towards enacting such a law to strengthen democracy.”

Abela had to defend himself over previous statements he made in which he defended “secretive actions” by government to enhance people’s quality of life, and even answer for his boisterous character in the law courts. “Every lawyer gets censured in the Maltese courts… it happens five to six times a day, and it is part of the heated debate between lawyers in the courts,” Abela told his interviewer.

Other reactions

In a reaction, Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson Arnold Cassola said that Abela had paid the price for the unethical behaviour of Joseph Muscat, claiming that ‘Panamagate’ had compounded the blurred view of Malta in the eyes of MEPs.

“These are terrible blows for the prestige of our country at an international level. Unfortunately the John Dalli case had already cast a shadow on Malta.” 

The Nationalist Party described Abela’s failing as a “sad day for Malta’s reputation”.

“It is clear that the Prime Minister's reluctance to take the necessary action on the recent corruption scandals to hit Castille continue to damage Malta,” the PN said. “This is a sad day for Malta's reputation and the Prime Minister's actions continue to embarrass Malta and the Maltese people.

We appeal to the Prime Minister to put the national interest before his personal and political ends.

Hearing ‘poisoned’ by misinformation

In a joint statement, the three Labour MEPs Alfred Sant, Miriam Dalli and Marlene Mizzi said Abela did not deserve to lose the vote.

Underlining Abela’s clarity, sincerity and thoroughness, the three MEPs said “it was evident the hearing was poisoned by misinformation disseminated among MEPs anonymously.”

However, the MEPs remain hopeful and said “after the vote we still believe that Abela possess all necessary attributes to give a valid contribution to the Court of Auditors. We have full confidence in his ability and integrity.”

Earlier in the hearing, Abela introduced himself as a man who ‘held governments and public authorities to account for their actions’ in both his professional life as a lawyer and in his public role with Labour. “I specialised in trying to annul or scrutinise unsound government decisions that would have otherwise negatively affected people’s quality of life,” Abela said.

Abela claimed this role in itself served as an ‘auditory’ role of governments’ actions when these went over and above their remit and powers. “I have qualities I can contribute to the ECA. Up to this day I have never feared criticising my own party or the government my party belonged to… I’ve always strived to keep my independence all throughout my life.”