NGO writes to ECB President to protect standards after Edward Scicluna refuses to resign

Rule of Law NGO Repubblika has written to the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Christine Lagarde over Malta's Central Bank Governor Edward Scicluna, urging her to "take all appropriate measures to protect the interests of the ECB and the

By: independent.com.mt

Jun 15 2024
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NGO writes to ECB President to

In its letter, Repubblika highlights that Scicluna, who sits on the ECB Governing Council, has "been charged in the Maltese courts with fraud, fraudulent gains and misappropriation."

"These charges are in connection with his conduct as Malta's Minister of Finance before he was appointed Governor of the country's Central Bank." Scicluna, as well as other current and former officials, including former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, were criminally charged over the hospitals deal scandal.

Repubblika said that in 2019, it took legal action "to demand a formal inquiry into allegations that Scicluna and other senior government members had acted unlawfully in the privatisation of public hospitals."

"Prof. Scicluna has so far rejected calls for his resignation from the public office he holds. He has specifically rebuffed these calls," the NGO said, mentioning that Scicluna had said that "no government, opposition, or NGO can ask for my resignation," quoting a news article.

"We are in no doubt of the rightful independence of the Governing Council and its members. We are however cognizant that independence signifies greater responsibility for accountability, transparency and the highest standards of ethics. These are the underlying principles governing your Governing Council. They should be embraced by every one of your members, including Prof. Scicluna," the NGO said.

"While we understand that Prof. Scicluna is entitled to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise by due process, it is, in our view, entirely inappropriate for him to burden the institutions he is appointed to with the harm that his prosecution inevitably causes to their reputation and to their ability to fulfil their functions. The charge of defrauding the government, of which he was Finance Minister, reflects badly on the European Central Bank's ability to fulfil its function of serving the public interest and to ensure the highest standards of integrity," the letter by Repubblika to the ECB President reads.