Abela Baldacchino may opt not to invoke immunity

The Government has hinted that newly-elected Labour MEP Claudette Abela Baldacchino may not invoke parliamentary immunity to evade prosecution over fraud charges. The Government has so far not declared whether it will be formally asking for her immunity to be lifted but a spokesman for the Prime Minister said she would not plead immunity and wanted to clear her name. Ms Abela Baldacchino, a member of the Prime Minister’s secretariat , is facing charges of defrauding the European Commission in travel expenses. She was arraigned last year together with a number of former local councillors. An OLAF investigation concluded that the councillors (Labour and Nationalist) claimed higher travel fares to Brussels than they paid and then pocketed the difference. The flights cost them €599 when they allegedly paid €466. The councillors pleaded not guilty. Full story in The Times. See arraignment report at http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120110/local/local-councillors-accused-of-defrauding-european-commission-of-96-000.401807