13/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - Following its rapporteur, French Socialist Francois Zimeray, the European Parliament decided not to lift the parliamentary immunity of Jose Ribeiro e Castro, Portuguese member of the Union for a Europe of Nations. Mr. Ribeiro e Castro was accused of complicity in a crime of slander going back to February 1995: as director of a programme on the practices of a private recruitment agency broadcast by "TVI - Televisao Independentes SA", he had accused this agency, "Norton Consultores" of not procuring serious jobs while demanding excessive fees, and the agency having observed, in the months that followed the programme, a drop in its turnover of 70% had lodged a complaint against him. Mr. Ribeiro e Castro had asked for his immunity to be lifted but Mr. Zimeray rejected his arguments, notably because, he says in his report, that it was a question of freedom of expression, "essential freedom to carry out his role as parliamentarian".