The Malta Independent on 31st March reported that the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body, GRECO, has drawn up what sources described to this newspaper as a “damning” evaluation report on Malta, but the body is precluded from releasing its findings on the state of corruption in Malta until the Maltese government gives its consent. A GRECO spokesperson said that it is an “exception” that a country refuses consent to publish – such as in the case of Belarus, not a Council of Europe member state, and which has not yet authorised the publication of any GRECO reports. Malta’s last evaluation was in 2014. That report had deemed the Maltese government’s level of compliance with its recommendations on political funding as “globally unsatisfactory”. It also called for action on real or potential conflicts of interest, the introduction of proper laws governing rules on gifts to MPs, the misuse of public resources, the misuse of confidential information, revolving doors and third-party contacts.
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