The verdicts on the trial of LuxLeaks whistleblowers and former PwC employees Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet, as well as the journalist Edouard Perrin, are set to be handed down by the appeals court in Luxembourg tomorrow.
Perrin, who was acquitted of all charges in June 2016, has had to stand trial again after the prosecution appealed against the original verdict. Deltour and Halet were both given fines and suspended prison sentences against which the defence appealed.
GUE/NGL MEP Fabio De Masi, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament's Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion (PANA), comments ahead of tomorrow's verdict:
“The whistleblowers and the journalist who revealed the dubious sweetheart deals between Luxembourg and multinationals to the public have to stand trial again. But what they actually deserve is a medal – not prosecution.”
“EU citizens lose hundreds of billions of euros every year through the tax tricks of multinationals and the rich. Without LuxLeaks and other similar exposés, such practices would remain hidden from the public. We stand in solidarity with Deltour, Halet and Perrin and we will continue to support them all the way to the European courts if necessary.”
De Masi, who appeared as a witness for the defence in the first trial, concludes:
“The Commission keeps ignoring the calls for appropriate protection of whistleblowers in the EU. This is a disgrace. Right now, honest people get punished whilst tricksters continue as normal. Similarly, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the Commission, has to be held accountable for such actions. He turned Luxembourg into one of the largest tax havens in the world and his government systematically obstructed reforms in Brussels for greater tax justice.”
Fabio De Masi will be available tomorrow, Wednesday 15th March, in Luxembourg for comments and questions ahead of and after the delivery of the judgement. He will hold a press conference with Luxembourg Member of Parliament David Wagner (déi Lenk) at 13.00 local time in the déi Lenk premises at 63 Boulevard de la Pétrusse, L-2320 Luxembourg. The press conference will also include follow-up information on the European Parliament Committee of Inquiry’s visit to Luxembourg on 2nd and 3rd March.
Photo courtesy of the Global Alliance for Tax Justice