EURapporteur Gomes to EuroFora:No Deadlines in Fight v. Corruption impacting Human Rights+3rd States

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- The Fight against Corruption, particularly when it seriously affects Human Rights and even other Countries, must not be limited by narrow Time Deadlines, if the EU wants to be Credible and Efficient, without, otherwise risking to cover up even serious crimes, especially at present when EU Citizens become increasingly aware of the negative role that played various big Errors of the Past, practically supported EU Parliament's Rapporteur on Corruption, both in the Public and Private sector, and its Impact on Human Rights and 3rd Countries, former Ambassador and experienced MEP from Portugal, Ana Gomes, in reply to "EuroFora"s questions, at a Press Conference today, shortly after EU Parliament's Plenary voted to adopt her Report, after discussing it yesterday evening in Strasbourg, following its quasi-Unanimous adoption by the Foreign Affairs Committee, earlier in Brussels, with 28 Votes in favor, 2 Abstentions (by UK's ECR, as she reminded), and Zero against.

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- "Sometimes, there are Revelations, which might be correct, or not, but must be checked, concerning events which extend a long way into the Past"; "EuroFora" observed from the outset.

=> - "if this is serious and worthwhile, (i.e.) when Corruption has a serious impact on Human Rights and Third Countries, how far, do you think that we can and should go, from an EU point of view ?", we asked EU Parliament's Rapporteur.

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- "I don't think that we (EU) set a ny kind of (Time) LImits", she immediately replied to "EuroFora"s Question.

- Because, "sometimes, things that go long in the Past, can be disclosed Today, and be the source of Attention Nowdays", MEP Gomes observed, in this regard.

=> - "So, we don't set any kind of (Time) Limits, in this respect : Retroactivity is not limited", concluded EU Parliament's Rapporteur in Reply to the above-mentioned Question raised by "EuroFora".

- "I give you some Examples", she went on to add :

- F. ex., "Yesterday (Monday Evening), when I was introducing the Report, I mentioned the case, where exactly the Time established a link, between what happened in 3rd Countries, and also in the E : I mentioned ... a case that is still on-going in Spain, making the Citizens stunned with the level of Corruption that was going on" there in the Past, "in the Political Parties", even those "in Government", MEP Gomes reminded.

- While, "in Greece, yesterday it was the Day when a Former MInister" was "convicted for Corruption in a case involving Trans-National Corruption throughout Europe", at about 1999-2002", she added.

- "And I actually pointed at the situation in Portugal, where there is also a case", "that is being investigated by the Public Prosecutor. But the two main, Politically responsible Government Officials, so far, have not even been heard by Justice, despite the fact that the 1st case was opened in 2005, and that in Germany there are already Courts' decisions pronouncing people Guilty of Corruption related to Portugal and Greece", so that "Portuguese Prosecutors' are going on in their Investigations for Corruption : fictitious Off Shores in this case", etc. "And this case, dating from 2004, is very much of our Concern, of course", she concluded, speaking in 2013.

>>> In many such cases, "here also, you have examples where there are all sorts of "Standards", which are not in line with EU Values, and clearly prevent us (EU) from being seen as credile Partner in Fighting Corruption and for Human Rights outside of the EU", the competent European Parliament's Rapporteur found, in reply to "EuroFora"s relevant Question (Comp. Supra).

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However, in various other such cases, concerning f.ex. the exceptionaly Heavy Debt provoked in Greece, which seriously affected both Human Rights of many People, but also many Other Countries, from Cyprus up to the entire €uroZone, and, indirectly but surely, even 3rd Countries' corporations and citizens, like Russians, etc., notoriously, the worst Corruption incidents go as far as 1999-2001, concerning attempts to Hide the growing Debt, and even since the Decade of 1980ies, cripled by various Scandals, during which has mainly provoked that excessive and continuing Public Debt, particularly by massively hiring a disproportionate number of many Counter-Productive Cushy-job holders and/or abusive Political Lackeys, scandalously appointed by former Clientelist and/or Nepotist Governments, mainly of PASOK, etc, who now threaten to even get .. "Pensions", etc., for many more Years, without doing anything, risking to out into serious Danger or even practically Nullify all the Economic Progress that the Country may have made meanwhile, (f.ex. on Competitiviness, Primary Budget Surplus, etc), thanks to Grave Sacrifices from productive Businesses and Poor People suffering from various deprivations, unless something is done in order to at least Fire the worst cases among them, put (Financial and/or other) Sanctions on those who illegaly/imegitimately usurpated (and still continue !) 30 Years of undeserved Salaries, Summer Holidays, Social Security, Primes, etc., find and Punish those who are Responsible, before it becomes too late. I.e. any satisfactory and just Solution obviously implies Investigators' Freedom to review all the relevant developments related to Corruption affecting Human Rights, between 1981-2011+, without obstacles.

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- But "EU cannot be Credible in the World, if we don't also fight Corruption inside the EU itself, and if we don't make the link with Human Rights' Violations", denounced earlier EU Parliament's Rapporteur, concerning various such kinds of cases.

- Because, today, EU "Citizens are Aware that one of the reasons for which we are here is also Corruption, particularly during the totaly Unregulated Financial sector period of the recent Past, while also a lot of so-called "Security" Compagnies were floating around often without respecting any rules, etc., MEP Gomes added earlier.

=> In consequence, "the EU must have a Strategy" vis a vis such cases of aggravated Corruption, and this Report adopted by EU Parliament' s Plenary was made in order to inspire for adequate Action also other competent EU Parliament's Committees, but even EU Commission, and EU Member States' authorities, she stressed during this same Press Conference in Strasbourg.

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(NDLR : References helping to Identify Persons were Omitted here, as far as possible).

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("DraftNews", as already sent to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version might be published asap).

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