'Strong suspicion' of pro-Azerbaijan corruption at Council of Europe

Council of Europe parliamentarians who visited Azerbaijan were plied with caviar, champagne and carpets and reported receiving midnight visits from scantily-dressed women, an independent inquiry has found. The inquiry into allegations of corruption at the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly (PACE) concluded there was a "strong suspicion" that some former and current members of the assembly had engaged in "activity of a corruptive nature."

It found that several PACE MPs acted to soften CoE positions on Azerbaijan, with a strong whiff of corruption surrounding at least four members of the Council's parliamentary assembly '" some of whom received payment in kind for lobbying efforts.
Debono Grech
Maltese former MP Joe Debono Grech, who served as PACE co-rapporteur for Azerbaijan for several years, was exonerated by the inquiry, which found no evidence linking him to corrupt or inappropriate activity, despite his pro-Azeri stance and "alleged lack of initiative." It nevertheless gave the lie to Mr Debono Grech's 2015 assertion to Malta Today that he had "never received any gifts" from Azerbaijan, with the report writers saying "Mr Debono Grech confirmed having received a...

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