Rosianne Cutajar found to be in ‘serious breach’ of Council of Europe rules

Updated at 16.30 with Rosianne Cutajar statement
Rosianne Cutajar has been found to be in “serious breach” of ethics rules governing the conduct of MPs in the Council of Europe parliamentary assembly.
In a meeting held on Tuesday, the council’s rules committee found Cutajar had breached articles 10 and 12 of the parliamentary assembly’s rules of conduct.
Article 10 says no member shall act as a paid advocate in any work of the assembly while article 12 prohibits members from using their position to further their own or other person’s interests in breach of the conduct.
Times of Malta revealed last year how Cutajar received a €9,000 “gift” from murder suspect Yorgen Fenech, a few weeks after she flew to the Strasbourg assembly to give a speech downplaying 17 Black and other government corruption scandals.

Fenech was outed as 17 Black’s owner by Times of Malta and Reuters in November 2018.
Panama Papers documents showed how his company planned to send up to €2 million to former government officials Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi. The men deny having any such plans.
Committee to prepare report
According to the council’s decision this week, its rules committee will prepare and...