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Tory MEP Villiers "guilty of hypocrisy"
October 23, 2001 12:00 AM
Baroness Sarah Ludford, Liberal group spokeswoman on justice and home affairs, has charged Tory MEP Theresa Villiers with hypocrisy for complaining about delay in finalising the EU money-laundering Directive*.
Baroness Ludford, who is Liberal Democrat MEP for London, said:
"It is Ms Villiers' own conservative group in the European Parliament, in support of their colleague Mr Lehne, who bear the major responsibility for holding up agreement for the last six months on effective new European rules to combat the proceeds of crime or terrorism ."
"They opposed putting a requirement on lawyers to report suspicious dealings by their clients and insisted lawyers should only tip off the authorities if they actually knew their clients were up to no good. Ms Villiers' own party colleague, Timothy Kirkhope, a former Tory Home Office minister, played a significant role in resisting this sensible tightening of the rules."
"I am glad to say that the final text reflects the need - which the Liberal group has consistently supported - to ensure lawyers are fully engaged in the fight against 'dirty money'."
"But this could and should have been agreed before the summer holidays, if it were not for the stubborn resistance of Ms Villiers' group. The delay was regrettable, and Ms Villiers should remember the old adage: 'people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones'."
- In opening of business on the Monday evening of Strasbourg week, Ms Villiers asked why final approval of the text finally agreed last week between the European Parliament and the Council was not on this week's plenary agenda. The answer given was that all the translations need to be made first.
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